| Electric rocket thrusters have effectively been demonstrated for uses in deep space and platform station keeping applications. However, the operational thruster lifetime can significantly decrease as the electrodes erode in the presence of the propellant. The Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) would be an alternative propulsion system that would eliminate the electrode altogether. In this type of thruster, the electric power would be transferred from a microwave frequency power source, via electromagnetic energy, to the electrons in the plasma sustained in the propellant. The thrust from the engine would be generated as the heated propellant expands through a nozzle. Diagnostic methods, such as spectroscopic, calorimetric, and photographic methods using the TM011 and TM012 modes in the microwave resonant cavity, have been used to study the plasma. Using these experimental results, we have expanded our understanding of plasma phenomena and of designing an operational MET system. As a result, a theoretical and computational based model was designed to model the plasma, fluid, and radiation transport phenomena within this system using a helium and nitrogen mixture based propellant. Additionally, a literature search was conducted to initially develop potential non-propulsive applications of microwave generated plasma systems. |
