The microplasma thruster (MPT) concept is a simple extension of a cold gas micronozzle propulsion device, where a direct-current microdischarge is used to preheat the gas stream to improve the specific impulse of the device. Here we study a prototypical MPT device using a detailed, self-consistently coupled plasma and flow computational model. The model describes the microdischarge power deposition, plasma dynamics, gas-phase chemical kinetics, coupling of the plasma phenomena with high-speed flow, and overall propulsion system performance. Compared to a cold gas micronozzle, a significant increase in specific impulse is obtained from the power deposition in the diverging section of the MPT nozzle. For a discharge voltage of 750 V, a power input of 650 mW, and an argon mass flow rate of 5 SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP), the specific impulse of the device is increased by a factor of to about 74 s. The microdischarge remains mostly confined inside the micronozzle and operates in an abnormal glow discharge regime. Gas heating, primarily due to ion Joule heating, is found to have a strong influence on the overall discharge behavior. The study provides a validation of the MPT concept as a simple and effective approach to improve the performance of micronozzle cold gas propulsion devices.
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15 September 2009
Research Article|
September 23 2009
Computational simulation of coupled nonequilibrium discharge and compressible flow phenomena in a microplasma thruster
Thomas Deconinck;
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Shankar Mahadevan;
Shankar Mahadevan
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Laxminarayan L. Raja
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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a)
Present address: Numeca International, Brussels, Belgium.
b)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected].
J. Appl. Phys. 106, 063305 (2009)
Article history
Received:
March 16 2009
Accepted:
August 12 2009
Citation
Thomas Deconinck, Shankar Mahadevan, Laxminarayan L. Raja; Computational simulation of coupled nonequilibrium discharge and compressible flow phenomena in a microplasma thruster. J. Appl. Phys. 15 September 2009; 106 (6): 063305. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3224863
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