TY - CONF
T1 - Laser propulsion 10 kW thruster test program results
AU - Black, J.
AU - Krier, H.
AU - Glumb, R. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this program was provided through an SBIR Phase II award from the SDIO Office of Innovative Science and Technology. Dr. Leonard H. Caveny was the contract monitor. Additional technical direction was provided by David C. Byers of NASA LeRC, and the authors acknowledge the advice and assistance of many members of the NASA LeRC staff during the design of our equipment, especially Thomas Haag, who contributed to the design of the thrust measurement system. The authors are also indebted to the University of Illinois for providing the laser facility in which the tests were conducted, and to Justin Koch who operated the laser and provided valuable technical support.
Publisher Copyright:
© 1991 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 1992
Y1 - 1992
N2 - This paper summarizes the results of the first-ever experimental tests of a 10 kW laser-powered rocket engine. The rocket engine used high-temperature laser-sustained plasmas to heat flows of argon and hydrogen propellants, which were then exhausted through a rocket nozzle to generate thrust. This paper describes the design of the thruster and test support equipment in detail, including a description of the diagnostic systems used. This is followed by a summary of the performance data acquired during the thruster tests, particularly specific impulse and thruster efficiency as functions of pressure and propellant type. Key findings include demonstrations of specific impulse values of up to 350 seconds at efficiencies near 40% using hydrogen propellant, and the discovery of a low-velocity stability limit for laser-sustained plasmas.
AB - This paper summarizes the results of the first-ever experimental tests of a 10 kW laser-powered rocket engine. The rocket engine used high-temperature laser-sustained plasmas to heat flows of argon and hydrogen propellants, which were then exhausted through a rocket nozzle to generate thrust. This paper describes the design of the thruster and test support equipment in detail, including a description of the diagnostic systems used. This is followed by a summary of the performance data acquired during the thruster tests, particularly specific impulse and thruster efficiency as functions of pressure and propellant type. Key findings include demonstrations of specific impulse values of up to 350 seconds at efficiencies near 40% using hydrogen propellant, and the discovery of a low-velocity stability limit for laser-sustained plasmas.
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U2 - 10.2514/6.1992-3218
DO - 10.2514/6.1992-3218
M3 - Paper
AN - SCOPUS:85005966761
T2 - AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 28th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 1992
Y2 - 6 July 1992 through 8 July 1992
ER -