Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5472201 | Acta Astronautica | 2017 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
A discharge plasma was applied to initiate the combustion of a hydroxylammonium nitrate-based propellant as a substitute for the catalysts that are typically employed. The resulting thrust and thrust-to-power ratio during short interval firing tests as well as the chamber pressure with a single pulse discharge were evaluated. A 1.5-s firing test generated a maximum thrust of 322Â mN along with a thrust-to-power ratio of 0.95Â mN/W. During the single-pulse discharge trials, pulsed discharge capacitor energies of 5.4, 10.8, and 16.4Â J were assessed, and the maximum chamber pressure was found to increase as the energy was raised. The maximum chamber pressures varied widely between experimental trials, and a 16.4-J energy value resulted in the highest chamber pressure of over 1 MPaG. The time spans between the pulsed discharge and the peak chamber pressure were in the range of 1-2Â ms, representing a chamber pressure increase rate much higher than those obtained with standard catalysts.
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Authors
Takahiro Shindo, Asato Wada, Hiroshi Maeda, Hiroki Watanabe, Haruki Takegahara,