Plasma Propulsion Engine
Research and Development in Plasma Technologies
Electric propulsion thrusters are called rocket engines, a feature of which is the conversion of electrical energy into kinetic energy of the thruster beam. Separation of the primary energy source and the actuator (propulsion device) in electric propulsion systems allows obtaining specific impulse values that are significantly higher than in chemical rocket engines.
These thrusters are designed to correct the orbits of artificial Earth satellites and also to study objects of the Solar system, to create means of intercepting space bodies potentially dangerous to the Earth, reusable vehicles for inter-orbital operations in the vicinity of the Earth, etc.
Due to the fact that the transformation of electrical energy from an external source into kinetic energy of the engine beam can occur in several stages, electric propulsion thrusters represent a wide class of devices that differ significantly both in design and in physical processes occurring in them.
Projects of application and development of electric propulsion systems for spacecraft began shortly after the launch of the first satellite.
We are the translation of advanced science to Real in hand technologies.
As a result of many years of work by scientists around the world, several types of electric propulsion thrusters were created, different in design, operation mode and values of thrust and specific impulse, the main ones:
Electrothermal
Gas-dynamic acceleration in the nozzle, but unlike liquid propellant rocket engines and solid propellant rocket engine, heating is electric – electricity is only for heating. Now molecular propellants are considered as the most appropriate, for example: NH3 и N2H4
Specific impulse Is=8000-12000 m/s (800-1200 “s”).
- Resistojet: heating from ohmic heater.
- Arcjet: arc heated
Electrostatic:
The field is created by electrodes and is almost parallel to the direction of thrust.
- plasma-ion thrusters (gridded thrusters). Specific impulse Is=30000-150000 m/s (3000-15000 “s”).
Plasma-ion thrusters with axial magnetic field
Plasma-ion thrusters with wall magnetic field
Plasma-ion thrusters with radial magnetic field
- Hall effect thrusters – the current of electrons is limited by the magnetic field:
- Accelerator with closed electron drift and wide acceleration zone – thrusters with wide acceleration zone (Russian: Stationary Plasma Thruster, SPT).
Specific impulse Is=15000-30000 m/s (1500-3000 “s”).
Closed electron drift
Structural elements and distribution of parameters in the SPD chamber - Thrusters with narrow acceleration zone, or Thruster with anode layer – narrow channel – a short channel with ion acceleration mainly already outside the channel – Specific impulse Is=15000-300000 m/s.
Thruster with anode layer - Two-stage thruster with anode layer – Specific impulse Is=30000-150000 m/s.
Two-stage thruster with anode layer
- Accelerator with closed electron drift and wide acceleration zone – thrusters with wide acceleration zone (Russian: Stationary Plasma Thruster, SPT).
Helicon (Inductive):
Time-variable field is created by time-variable and almost perpendicular to the direction of thrust – Specific impulse Is=15000-70000 m/s (1500-7000 “s”):
- Impulse – impulsing, from capacitors (for example, from the Marx generator).
- Working in a quasi-stationary mode – from the alternating power source.
Magnetoplasmadynamic:
The field is created by electrodes and is almost perpendicular to the direction of thrust – Specific impulse Is=15000-30000 m/s (1500-3000 “s”).
- Working in stationary mode (high-current Hall thrusters).
- Impulse (like Pulsed Plasma Thrusters) – feeding from capacitors, gaseous propellant.
- Erosion pulsed plasma (like Ablative Pulsed Plasma Thrusters) – feeding from capacitors, solid propellant.
Erosion pulsed plasma thruster
Electrostatic thruster
with the acceleration of the ion component in the direction of the electric field: for example, plasma-ion thruster and Hall-effect thruster;
Magnetoplasmodynamic thruster
with the acceleration of the ion component in the direction transverse both to electric and magnetic fields: for operation in both stationary and pulsed modes – like pulsed plasma thruster
Inductive thruster
using variable in time perpendicular electric and magnetic fields to accelerate a propellant with no electrode, like Pulsed inductive thruster, and Helicon Plasma Thrusters.
Research, Development, Improvement, Design, realization, production of a prototype and industrial sample
By very powerful team, which includes professors, young scientists and engineers with extensive experience in this field, we will be able to provide the high-quality research, development, improvement and design for any types of Electric Rocket Propulsion Systems.
Connections and scientific cooperation with various universities in this industry, give us a great opportunity to find a solution to even the most complex problems associated with Electric Rocket Propulsion Systems.
We have great experience to realization and production of a prototypes for further research and improvement and data monitoring.
Computer Modeling and Simulation
We have a very powerful computer simulation team with extensive experience in this field, so we can provide high-quality simulation of processes of propulsion systems using the most powerful software.
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