Use of Water Vapor as a Propellant for a 17.8-GHz Microwave Electrothermal Thruster
Open Access
Author:
Nigay, Natalia
Area of Honors:
Aerospace Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Michael Matthew Micci, Thesis Supervisor David Bradley Spencer, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Electric Propulsion Microwave Electrothermal Thruster MET Water Vapor Plasma
Abstract:
The Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) has been in development at the Pennsylvania State University since the 1980s. It is a type of electric propulsion device that uses microwaves to produce a plasma, which heats a gaseous propellant that is then accelerated through a nozzle, thus generating thrust. Current research on the subject is investigating the use of various propellants for a low-power 17.8-GHz thruster that would function within the stringent mass, volume, and power limitations of a Cube Satellite (CubeSat). Water vapor is one such option as it is safe to handle, storable as a liquid, nontoxic, and readily available.
Past research on water propellant for the 17.8-GHz MET identified vaporization and vapor delivery as a main concern, and is the focus of this work. A new propellant feed system was designed in an effort to minimize the issues that came up with the past setup -- namely thermal losses that led to water vapor condensing before reaching the thruster. Unfortunately, due to problems securing the proper cartridge heater, experimental testing with the new setup had to be postponed. Future work includes testing steam generation in the new configuration, followed by plasma ignition.
