A Theoretical Evaluation of Laser Sustained Plasma Thruster Performance.
Abstract
An extensive numerical experiment has been conducted to evaluate rocket thruster performance using a laser-sustained hydrogen plasma as the propellant. The plasma was sustained using a 30 kW CO2 laser beam operated at 10.6 micrometers focused inside the thruster. The steady-state Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the laser power absorption process have been solved numerically. A pressure based Navier-Stokes solver using body-fitted coordinate was used to calculate the laser-supported rocket flow which included both recirculating and transonic flow regions. The local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption was used for the plasma thermophysical and optical properties. Geometric ray tracing was adopted to describe the laser beam. Several different throut size thrusters operated at 150 and 300 kPa chamber stagnation pressure were studied. It was found that the thruster performance (vacuum specific impulse) was highly dependent on the operating conditions, and a properly designed laser supported thruster can attain a specific impulse around 1500 secs. The heat loading on the thruster wall was also estimated and was in the range of that for a conventional chemical rocket. Keywords: Steady state; Navier Stokes; Laser sustained; Transonic; Body fitted coordinates; Recirculating; Equilibrium.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 21, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA193764
Entities
People
- Dennis Keefer
- San-mou Jeng
Organizations
- University of Tennessee Space Institute