Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster
This study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers a set of 177 chemical reactions invo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Aerospace |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/5/389 |
| _version_ | 1797601606755155968 |
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| author | Simone Dalle Fabbriche Nabil Souhair Mirko Magarotto Raoul Andriulli Enrico Corti Fabrizio Ponti |
| author_facet | Simone Dalle Fabbriche Nabil Souhair Mirko Magarotto Raoul Andriulli Enrico Corti Fabrizio Ponti |
| author_sort | Simone Dalle Fabbriche |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers a set of 177 chemical reactions involving 8 different species and includes empirical equations to account for electronegative effects. The analysis presents the steady-state values of species densities at 10 W, 30 W, and 50 W to gain insights into the key characteristics of plasma dynamics. Moreover, the study estimates the thrust and specific impulse and compares the results to data from models that employ xenon and iodine, aiming to understand the performances of air in low-power thrusters. Lastly, the study examines the effects of varying air inflow concentration on the chemistry, analyzing three different orbit altitudes (i.e., 200, 300, and 400 km). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:02:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74d0a630a1084f17b9aa90f73631bd13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-4310 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:02:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerospace |
| spelling | doaj.art-74d0a630a1084f17b9aa90f73631bd132023-11-17T23:59:31ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102023-04-0110538910.3390/aerospace10050389Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less ThrusterSimone Dalle Fabbriche0Nabil Souhair1Mirko Magarotto2Raoul Andriulli3Enrico Corti4Fabrizio Ponti5Alma Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyAlma Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Information Engineering (DEI), Univeristy of Padova, 35122 Padua, ItalyAlma Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyAlma Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyAlma Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyThis study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers a set of 177 chemical reactions involving 8 different species and includes empirical equations to account for electronegative effects. The analysis presents the steady-state values of species densities at 10 W, 30 W, and 50 W to gain insights into the key characteristics of plasma dynamics. Moreover, the study estimates the thrust and specific impulse and compares the results to data from models that employ xenon and iodine, aiming to understand the performances of air in low-power thrusters. Lastly, the study examines the effects of varying air inflow concentration on the chemistry, analyzing three different orbit altitudes (i.e., 200, 300, and 400 km).https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/5/389aerospace propulsionnumerical modelingplasma thrusteratmosphere breathing electric propulsionglobal modelplasma chemistry model |
| spellingShingle | Simone Dalle Fabbriche Nabil Souhair Mirko Magarotto Raoul Andriulli Enrico Corti Fabrizio Ponti Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster Aerospace aerospace propulsion numerical modeling plasma thruster atmosphere breathing electric propulsion global model plasma chemistry model |
| title | Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster |
| title_full | Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster |
| title_fullStr | Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster |
| title_short | Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster |
| title_sort | development of a global model for the analysis of plasma in an atmosphere breathing cathode less thruster |
| topic | aerospace propulsion numerical modeling plasma thruster atmosphere breathing electric propulsion global model plasma chemistry model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/5/389 |
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