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Are All Rockets the Same?
Published in Travis S. Taylor, Introduction to Rocket Science and Engineering, 2017
Electrothermal engines use electric and magnetic fields in order to improve the performance of a propellant. This is done by increasing the thermal energy of the system by turning the propellant into a hot plasma by arcing an electric current flow through it, ionizing it with microwaves, or ionizing it with radio waves. The electrothermal engine might also make use of the electromagnetic fields to accelerate the ionized propellants. A typical example of an electrothermal engine is the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) concept invented by astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz. Figure 5.22 is a photo of the VASIMR tested and a diagram of the concept. The engine consists of superconducting magnetic cells, a plasma source, a radio- frequency (RF) booster, and magnetic field lines shaped to act as a nozzle. A neutral gas is injected into an ionization chamber where the plasma energy is boosted by RF electromagnetic waves. The ionized plasma is accelerated by the magnetic nozzle to generate thrust. The VASIMR can generate specific impulses in a large range between 3,000 and 30,000 sec with thrust up to half of a newton.
Nature-Inspired Concepts for High-Power Electric Propulsion Systems
Published in Fusion Science and Technology, 2023
What about when PV is considered for deep space missions in areas without any star around? In addition, space radiation makes them impossible for long-term missions, more than 50 years. Fuel cells may not be able to store enough energy for the space missions. The use of fission, and especially fusion, reactors separated from the energy converter and the consumer (thruster) does not make sense because of significant power losses in energy and electricity transmission lines. When thrust production is not required while power generation for a spacecraft’s on-board systems is, the plasma flow can be locked by a magnetic nozzle so the plasma will not exhaust and will produce thrust while power generation is performed.