Development of Advanced Thermal ana Electric Propulsion (TEP) System

Abstract

On September 30, 1993, the Department of Physics at Hampton University was awarded a research instrumentation grant by the AFOSR for the development of an advanced Thermal and Electric Propulsion (TEP) system. Under this grant, a TEP test facility capable of providing 60-kW optical power for thermal propulsion and 30-kW electric power for the magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster has been constructed and installed. The TEP is literally of thermal and electric propulsion systems in a tandem order to take advantage of both systems. The TEP employs a high temperature thermal chamber for generation of an ionized propullant and a hollow cathode of the MPD as an expansion nozzle. Both feature alleviate the requirement of high voltage triggering and concentration of the current density on the solid cathode tip that commonly appear in the conventional MPD thrusters.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 25, 1994
Accession Number
ADA329705

Entities

People

  • Bagher M. Tabibi

Organizations

  • Hampton University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Compressors
  • Compressors
  • Construction
  • Control Systems
  • Electric Power
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Heat Transfer
  • High Temperature
  • High Voltage
  • Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters
  • Measurement
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Research Facilities
  • Test Facilities
  • Thrusters
  • Transducers
  • Voltage

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster