Effects of Water Plasma Chemistry on Helicon Thruster Performance

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dc.contributor.advisorSedwick, Raymond Jen_US
dc.contributor.authorPetro, Elaine Marieen_US
dc.contributor.departmentAerospace Engineeringen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-01T05:36:31Z
dc.date.available2019-10-01T05:36:31Z
dc.date.issued2019en_US
dc.description.abstractThe focus of this work is on the operation of a helicon thruster with water as the propellant. The characteristics of a water plasma are investigated and used to develop an analytical thrust efficiency model for the system. The efficiency of a helicon thruster operating with water vapor is compared to the efficiency with traditional noble gas propellants. Next, the predicted efficiency range is compared with other state-of-the-art electric propulsion devices. The addition of an ‘electrodeless’ ion cyclotron heating stage is investigated as a means of increasing thrust efficiency. The thrust efficiency model is extended to assess the parameter space for which the addition of ion cyclotron heating improves performance. Additionally, a particle-based trajectory model is developed to study antenna sizing, phasing effects, and energy conversion. Finally, the effects of second-order reactions on plasma composition and acceleration efficiency are explored using particle balance and particle-in-cell methods.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13016/ovkq-o4gu
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/25115
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledAerospace engineeringen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledPlasma physicsen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledelectric propulsionen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledlow thrusten_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledmolecular plasmaen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledplasmaen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledspacecraft propulsionen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledspace missionsen_US
dc.titleEffects of Water Plasma Chemistry on Helicon Thruster Performanceen_US
dc.typeDissertationen_US

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