Accession Number:

ADA280009

Title:

Propulsion Research on the Variable Tandem Mirror Plasma Rocket.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. 1 Feb 92-31 Jan 94,

Corporate Author:

MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE PLASMA FUSION CENTER

Personal Author(s):

• Yang, T. F.
• Chang-Diaz, F. R.

Report Date:

1994-02-07

Pagination or Media Count:

91.0

Abstract:

This report describes the progress made in the past two years as well as the overall picture of this research. In the past years, several-milestones have been achieved towards the realization of a practical space plasma thruster from the tandem mirror rocket experiment, i.e. the specific impulse, thrust, energy conversion efficiency, and mass flow-rate have been determined. The experiment operates at 9.4 kW of input power at an rf-to-plasma efficiency of 68 The ion temperature is 172 eV 2,000,000 K which gives an I sub sp of 12, 852 s. The thrust is 76 mN milli Newton which is a high value for a low input power 9.4 kW and very high I sub sp, 12,852 s. The radiation loss was found to be very low. Most important, these results fall within our prediction.

Descriptors:

• *ROCKET ENGINES
• *THRUSTERS
• *ROCKET PROPULSION
• *PLASMA ENGINES
• CONVERSION
• MIRRORS
• IONS
• RADIATION
• TEMPERATURE
• EFFICIENCY
• ROCKETS
• THRUST
• LASERS
• MASS FLOW
• FLOW RATE
• ENERGY CONVERSION
• POWER

Subject Categories:

• Electric and Ion Propulsion
• Rocket Engines

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE