NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF THE PULSED INDUCTIVE THRUSTER

摘要

Numerical modeling of the Pulsed Inductive Thruster exercising the magnetohydrodynamic code, MACH2 aims to provide bilateral validation of the thruster's measured performance and the code's capability of capturing the pertinent physical processes. Computed impulse values demonstrate excellent correlation to the experimental data for a range of energy levels and helium propellant-mass values. The effects of the vacuum tank wall and mass-injection scheme were investigated to show trivial changes in the overall performance.