Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster

Autor: Simone Dalle Fabbriche, Nabil Souhair, Mirko Magarotto, Raoul Andriulli, Enrico Corti, Fabrizio Ponti
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aerospace, Vol 10, Iss 5, p 389 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2226-4310
DOI: 10.3390/aerospace10050389
Popis: This study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers a set of 177 chemical reactions involving 8 different species and includes empirical equations to account for electronegative effects. The analysis presents the steady-state values of species densities at 10 W, 30 W, and 50 W to gain insights into the key characteristics of plasma dynamics. Moreover, the study estimates the thrust and specific impulse and compares the results to data from models that employ xenon and iodine, aiming to understand the performances of air in low-power thrusters. Lastly, the study examines the effects of varying air inflow concentration on the chemistry, analyzing three different orbit altitudes (i.e., 200, 300, and 400 km).
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals