Evaluation of Magnet Configurations for Magnetohydrodynamic Trajectory Control during Planetary Entry

Magnetohydrodynamics is a phenomenon that can be harnessed during planetary entry to augment aerodynamic drag and may enable higher mass payloads to safely reach the surface. The magnetohydrodynamic force is quantified over a wide range of freestream conditions using computational fluid dynamics results from a previous study. The force is calculated for an array of small electromagnets, a large non-superconducting magnet, a large superconducting magnet, and a uniform field. The superconducting magnet produces a magnetohydrodynamic force within an order of magnitude of aerodynamic drag for velocities higher than 10 km/s, indicating that it may have a reasonable impact on the trajectory for some cases. The array of small magnets and non-superconducting magnet produced a magnetohydrodynamic force that is less than 1% of the aerodynamic drag, so their magnetic fields are not strong enough to affect an entry trajectory. Additionally, the magnet placement plays an important role in magnetohydrodynamic force magnitude, with a magnet located near the shoulder producing approximately eight times more force than a magnet placed on the axis of symmetry. A mass and power budget for each magnet configuration is given assuming current state-of-the-art magnet technology. This study also discusses implementation challenges for each type of magnet on a spacecraft.