| The development of high specific impulse rocket engines is essential for fast and efficient space travel. The plasmoid thruster, a novel propulsion concept with the potential for producing a high specific impulse, was investigated in light of this need. This pulsed inductive rocket utilizes the Lorentz force to accelerate plasmoids and produce thrust. The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX) was designed to experimentally evaluate the thruster concept. PTX operates by producing plasmoids in a conical theta-pinch coil and ejecting them at high velocity. Measurements of the plasmoid magnetic fields, electron temperature (Te), electron number density (n e) and Mach number (M) were taken in the PTX plume with a B˙ probe array and a quadruple Langmuir probe. The measurements were used for calculating exit velocity and Isp. High-speed photographs were also obtained for capturing images of the plasmoids and estimating their velocity. The magnetic field data showed behavior characteristic of plasmoids, such as the occurrence of the maximum axial magnetic field on axis and magnetic field reversal. The quadruple Langmuir probe data revealed several factors that influence thruster operation, including propellant choice, supply pressure and propellant injection timing (tpuff). For Ar propellant at supply pressures of 14--34 psig and tpuff = 2200 mus, Te ranged from 2--7 eV, ne ranged from 1.5 x 1020 m-3 to 3.5 x 1020 m-3, and M ranged from 3.3--3.8 in PTX. For H2 propellant, T e ranged from 15--27 eV, ne ranged from 0.8 x 1020 m-3 to 1.5 x 1020 m-3, and M ranged from 1.4--2.6, for supply pressures of 9--38 psig and tpuff = 1200--2400 mus. Analysis of the plume measurements yielded high thruster exit velocities, indicating that the plasmoid thruster can produce a high Isp. Velocities of 24 km/s, 35 km/s and 46 km/s were calculated for supply pressures of 38 psig, 24 psig and 9 psig of H2 propellant, respectively. These exit velocities deliver Isp values of 2,400 s, 3,500 s and 4,600 s respectively for the unoptimized plasmoid thruster. |
