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Numerical investigations of 2-D planar magnetic nozzle effects on pulsed plasma plumes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2021

J. D. Burch ,
D. Han Open the ORCID record for D. Han [Opens in a new window]  and
S. N. Averkin
J. D. Burch
Affiliation:
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rolla, Missouri, United States
D. Han*
Affiliation:
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rolla, Missouri, United States
S. N. Averkin
Affiliation:
Tech-X Corporation, Boulder, Colorado, United States
*
E-mail: handao@mst.edu
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Abstract

This paper presents a study of a novel type of magnetic nozzle that allows for three-dimensional (3-D) steering of a plasma plume. Numerical simulations were performed using Tech-X’s USim® software to quantify the nozzle’s capabilities. A 2-D planar magnetic nozzle was applied to plumes of a nominal pulsed inductive plasma (PIP) source with discharge parameters similar to those of Missouri S&T’s Missouri Plasmoid Experiment (MPX). Argon and xenon plumes were considered. Simulations were verified and validated through a mesh convergence study as well as comparison with available experimental data. Periodicity was achieved over the simulation run time and phase angle samples were taken to examine plume evolution over pulse cycles. The resulting pressure, velocity, and density fields were analysed for nozzle angles from 0° to 14°. It was found that actual plume divergence was small compared to the nozzle angle. Even with an offset angle of 14° for the magnetic nozzle, the plume vector angle was only about 2° for argon and less than 1° for xenon. The parameters that had the most effect on the vectoring angle were found to be the coil current and inlet velocity.

Keywords

PlasmaPlumePulsed inductiveMagnetic nozzleArgonXenonMagnetohydrodynamics
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 126 , Issue 1299 , May 2022 , pp. 793 - 812
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

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