
The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 @ 20:25:33 UTC Topic: Science
From PhysOrg.com: RESEARCH CONTINUES FOR DEEP SPACE TRAVEL PROPULSION, January 10
Graduate
students and faculty researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville are
investigating propulsion concepts that could eventually revolutionize deep space
travel.
The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX) is a stepping
stone to a highly efficient propulsion concept which could ultimately
change how we travel in space, according to Dr. Jason Cassibry, a
researcher in UAH’s Propulsion Research Center.
“Larger, more powerful versions can produce fusion for both power
and space propulsion, allowing human travel to the outer planets,” he
said.
Few groups around the country are working on this
emerging technology, according to Cassibry. UAH is among that small
number of research institutions.
The experimental branch of the Propulsion Research Center’s pulsed
plasma research group is focused on gathering experimental data from
PTX, which was originally built at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
MSFC donated the equipment to UAH last year.
The purpose of the PTX is to investigate the fundamental plasma and
acceleration properties of a small-scale, pulsed plasma thruster.
PTX works by ringing a single turn conical theta pinch coil at
about 500 kHz, ionizing and accelerating a small quantity of gas. The
magnetic field inside the coil creates a plasmoid, a plasma that has a
closed magnetic field structure.
One of the biggest challenges in any electric propulsion concept is
increasing the lifetime of the thruster, which must run continuously
for several years for deep space missions. Most electric propulsion
concepts use plasma, which is in contact with electrodes or
acceleration grids, causing erosion of the components and limiting the
lifetime of the thruster. The plasmoid thruster potentially has a much
longer lifetime, because the plasma is formed inductively, which means
that the plasma is not in contact with the thruster components.
UAH researchers ran system tests and calibrations in October, and today the equipment is at full capacity.
In the short term, PTX will continue to take data in support of the
ongoing development of the numerical models. This will be accomplished
by using a laser interferometer to measure the plasma density. Also,
magnetic field measurements help to determine size of the plasmoid.
Together, these diagnostics provide a lot of information without
affecting the plasmoid itself, according to Cassibry.
In the long term, the PTX experiment will be expanded by varying
the coil geometry, adding bias flux and changing the initial conditions
to study the effect on the coupling efficiency between the primary coil
current and the secondary current in the plasmoid in an effort to
improve plasma acceleration and thrust.
“Our experimental pulsed plasma group is keeping a watchful eye on
the field of plasma science,” Cassibry said. “We believe that we now
have the means and the ability to support further scientific
developments in this field.”
Source: University of Alabama Huntsville
Link: http://www.physorg.com/news87663676.html
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