Numerical Simulation of One Dimensional Pulsed Plasma Thruster with Solid Propellant

Authors

K.N.Toosi University of Technology

Abstract

The pulsed plasma Thruster has been the first thruster in the space mission. In the thrusters, based on discharging electrical capacitor and passing high current between the anode and cathode, fuel is isolated, then by using self-field magnetic and applying Lorentz force to the plasma particles and with accelerating them the thrust force is generated. In the research a one dimensional Pulsed Plasma Thruster has been investigated. The applied numerical solution is based on Einfeldt, Harten, Lax, Van Leer, (HLLE) numerical method which has the adequate accuracy. In the simulation Hall effects, ionization process, heat transfer, and viscosity have been neglected. Governing equation for a magnetic accelerator has been solved. The represented solution results include distribution of density, velocity, pressure, and magnetic field during the magnetic accelerator which compared with similar numerical results was satisfactory. A Pulse Plasma Thruster has been numerically analyzed. The results related to density, pressure, magnetic field, and velocity curves have been compared with the desire physical behavior, which were satisfactory. Also graph of distribution of Teflon temperature after reaching to the ablation temperature, by applying heat energy from plasma area, has adequate compatibility with reference.

Keywords

References

[1] Tsiolkovsky KE (1903) Exploration of the universe with reaction machines. NASA Tech 2: 212-349.
[2] Highway CJ, Johnson JE (1966) Analytical and experimental performance of  capacitor powered coaxial plasma guns. AIAA J 4(5): 823-830.
[3] Turchi PJ, Mikellides PG (1995) Modeling of ablation-fed pulsed plasma thrusters. 31th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 95-2915, San Diego.
[4] Mikellides YG (1999) Theoretical modeling and optimization of ablation-fed pulsed plasma thrusters. Ohio State University.
[5] Keidar  M, Boyd ID, Beilis  II (2000)  Modeling of a pulsed plasma thruster from plasma generation to plume far field. J Spacecr Rockets 37(3): 399-407.
[6] Martinez-Sanchez M (1991) The Structure of self- filed accelerated plasma flows. J Propul Power 7(1):87-1065. 
[7] Brio M, Wu CC (1988) An Upwind differencing scheme for the equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. J Comput Phys 75(2): 400-422.
[8] Stechmann DP (2007) Numerical Analysis of transient Teflon ablation pulsed plasma thruster. Master thesis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
[9] Dai W, Woodward P (1994) An approximation Riemann solver for ideal magnetohydrodynamics. J Comput Phys 111(2): 354-372
Journal of Solid and Fluid Mechanics
Volume 7, Issue 1
March and April 2017
Pages 161-173

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics