Pulsed Electric Microthrusters With Solid Propellant for Microsats and Nanosats

Abstract

This report describes progress, in experimental development, plasma diagnostics, and modeling, in advanced pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT) for application to formation-flying satellite constellations such as TechSat21. The research concentrated on coaxial Teflon PPTs, predominantly of the electrothermal (high thrust) type, with an average power of 100 watts. During this effort, performance advances were made both in the thruster design and in the pulsed circuitry driving the discharge, aided by increased understanding derived from a two-fluid model. The results of this research led to the development, under separate contract to CU Aerospace, of a PPT flight test model (PPT-8) which was tested at the AFRL Electric Propulsion Laboratory.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 02, 2002
Accession Number
ADA401337

Entities

People

  • Rodney L. Burton

Organizations

  • University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acousto-Optic Modulators
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Detectors
  • Electron Density
  • Energy
  • Energy Transfer
  • Engineering
  • Geometry
  • Laser Beams
  • Lasers
  • Measurement
  • Pulsed Plasma Thrusters
  • Small Satellites
  • Solid Propellants
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Thrust
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Technical Research and Report Writing.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Satellites