Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Current Distribution in Self-Field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters

Abstract

The plasma flow in magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) self-field thrusters is described by conservation equations for heavy particles, turbulence, electrons, and the magnetic field for reaction and thermal nonequilibrium. The equations are discretized on unstructured adaptive meshes. The numerical results, which are verified by experimental data, show that the newly developed finite volume code predicts the thrust well. It is found that electron pressure diffusion drives the arc out of nozzle-type MPD thrusters. The drop of density in front of a water-cooled anode is the reason for the beginning of thruster instabilities at high electric currents.