Preliminary pulsed MPD thruster performance
A thrust stand was modified, and a primary calibration technique was developed to evaluate the performance of applied-field pulsed magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters (MPDTs) for 10 kW class solar electric orbit transfer vehicle (SEOTV) missions. The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) 30 kW thrust stand was modified to accept high current pulses delivered to the MPDT. A pendulum system was developed to deliver an in situ primary impulse calibration of the thrust stand. An MPDT was built to accommodate future testing of an externally heated cathode and to allow rapid diffusion of the applied magnetic field. The thruster was driven by a pulse forming network to anode-cathode powers of 350 kW. The thrust stand was calibrated for impulses ranging from 4.8 to 12.2 mN-s, and thruster discharges generated impulses ranging from 2.6 to 4.5 mN-s after subtracting the cold gas flow impulse.
