- Nationality: Italian
PhD Thesis
A theoretical and numerical analysis of the plasma response in a 10-kW class applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster.
Supervisors
Eduardo Ahedo (UC3M)
Abstract
At power levels below few hundreds of kWs, the plasma-induced magnetic field of a classical magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPDT) is negligible. An external magnetic field is imposed, leading to the applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (AF-MPDT). This concept is rather different from the MPDT and the resulting device configuration is closer to the Hall effect thruster (HET) one, and presents also the same plasma acceleration stage, based on a magnetic nozzle (MN) as an electrodeless plasma thruster (EPT). This Thesis pursues to assess the AF-MPDT in that low power range and to stress out the possible similarities with HETs and EPTs.
PhD in Aerospace Engineering UC3M 