Physics Of Electric Propulsion

Geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this text develops the concepts of electrical acceleration of gases for propulsion, from primary physical principles to realistic space thruster designs. 1968 edition.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, electric propulsion was considered the technology of the future. Now, the future has arrived. This important new book explains the fundamentals of electric propulsion for spacecraft and describes in detail the physics and characteristics of the two major electric thrusters in use today, ion and Hall thrusters. The authors provide an introduction to plasma physics in order to allow readers to understand the models and derivations used in determining electric thruster performance. They then go on to present detailed explanations of: Thruster principles Ion thruster plasma generators and accelerator grids Hollow cathodes Hall thrusters Ion and Hall thruster plumes Flight ion and Hall thrusters Based largely on research and development performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and complemented with scores of tables, figures, homework problems, and references, Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters is an indispensable textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to enter the aerospace industry. It also serves as an equally valuable resource for professional engineers already at work in the field.

During the last decade, rapid growth of knowledge in the field of jet, rocket, nuclear, ion and electric propulsion has resulted in many advances useful to the student, engineer and scientist. The purpose for offering this course is to make available to them these recent advances in theory and design. Accordingly, this course is organized into seven parts: Part 1 Introduction; Part 2 Jet Propulsion; Part 3 Rocket Propulsion; Part 4 Nuclear Propulsion; Part 5 Electric and Ion Propulsion; Part 6 Theory on Combustion, Detonation and Fluid Injection; Part 7 Advanced Concepts and Mission Applications. It is written in such a way that it may easily be adopted by other universities as a textbook for a one semester senior or graduate course on the subject. In addition to the undersigned who served as the course instructor and wrote Chapter I, 2 and 3, guest lecturers included: DR. G. L. DUGGER who wrote Chapter 4 "Ram-jets and Air-Aug mented Rockets," DR. GEORGE P. SUTTON who wrote Chapter 5 "Rockets and Cooling Methods," DR . . MARTIN SUMMERFIELD who wrote Chapter 6 "Solid Propellant Rockets," DR. HOWARD S. SEIFERT who wrote Chapter 7 "Hybrid Rockets," DR. CHANDLER C. Ross who wrote Chapter 8 "Advanced Nuclear Rocket Design," MR. GEORGE H. McLAFFERTY who wrote Chapter 9 "Gaseous Nuclear Rockets," DR. S. G. FORBES who wrote Chapter 10 "Electric and Ion Propul sion," DR. R. H. BODEN who wrote Chapter 11 "Ion Propulsion," DR.

Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Volume 9: Electric Propulsion Development covers the proceedings of the Second Electric Propulsion Conference of the American Rocker Society, held in Berkeley, California on March 14-16, 1962. The conference focuses on the existing problems in electric propulsion and their possible solutions. This book is organized into four sections encompassing 35 chapters. The first section deals with the thermodynamics of arcs; the problems of heat and momentum transfer; the chemical processes within arcs; the arc system materials; and the arc jet design problems. The second section considers the problems of ion systems, the various ion sources, and the neutralization of ion beams. This section also looks into the basic ionization processes, the production and charging of heavy particles, the corrosive properties of cesium, and the ion-optical designs. The third section describes various plasma systems, including helical transmission lines, pulsed pinch accelerators, coaxial systems, and j x B accelerators. The theoretical analyses of these systems are briefly examined. The fourth section includes papers on flight testing of electric propulsion models, on vertical rocket probes, and on satellites, This section also discusses some advanced concepts in electric propulsion, such as air scooping during ascent through the atmosphere, systems design and optimization, and planetary and interplanetary missions. This book is of great value to physicists, space engineers and designers, as well as researchers in the fields of astronautics and aeronautics.

"This e-book presents an overview of field propulsion systems for the use of space travel and interstellar travel. Such systems include warp drive, space drive and gravity-control schemes, and are propelled receiving the propulsive force derived from an in"

Frontiers of Propulsion Science is the first-ever compilation of emerging science relevant to such notions as space drives, warp drives, gravity control, and faster-than-light travel - the kind of breakthroughs that would revolutionize spaceflight and enable human voyages to other star systems. Although these concepts might sound like science fiction, they are appearing in growing numbers in reputable scientific journals. This is a nascent field where a variety of concepts and issues are being explored in the scientific literature, beginning in about the early 1990s. The collective status is still in step 1 and 2 of the scientific method, with initial observations being made and initial hypotheses being formulated, but a small number of approaches are already at step 4, with experiments underway. This emerging science, combined with the realization that rockets are fundamentally inadequate for interstellar exploration, led NASA to support the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project from 1996 through 2002.""Frontiers of Propulsion Science"" covers that project as well as other related work, so as to provide managers, scientists, engineers, and graduate students with enough starting material that they can comprehend the status of this research and decide if and how to pursue it in more depth themselves. Five major sections are included in the book: Understanding the Problem lays the groundwork for the technical details to follow; Propulsion Without Rockets discusses space drives and gravity control, both in general terms and with specific examples; Faster-Than-Light Travel starts with a review of the known relativistic limits, followed by the faster-than-light implications from both general relativity and quantum physics; Energy Considerations deals with spacecraft power systems and summarizes the limits of technology based on accrued science; and, From This Point Forward offers suggestions for how to manage and conduct research on such visionary topics.

The primary human activities that release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere are the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) to generate electricity, the provision of energy for transportation, and as a consequence of some industrial processes. Although aviation CO2 emissions only make up approximately 2.0 to 2.5 percent of total global annual CO2 emissions, research to reduce CO2 emissions is urgent because (1) such reductions may be legislated even as commercial air travel grows, (2) because it takes new technology a long time to propagate into and through the aviation fleet, and (3) because of the ongoing impact of global CO2 emissions. Commercial Aircraft Propulsion and Energy Systems Research develops a national research agenda for reducing CO2 emissions from commercial aviation. This report focuses on propulsion and energy technologies for reducing carbon emissions from large, commercial aircraftâ€" single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft that carry 100 or more passengersâ€"because such aircraft account for more than 90 percent of global emissions from commercial aircraft. Moreover, while smaller aircraft also emit CO2, they make only a minor contribution to global emissions, and many technologies that reduce CO2 emissions for large aircraft also apply to smaller aircraft. As commercial aviation continues to grow in terms of revenue-passenger miles and cargo ton miles, CO2 emissions are expected to increase. To reduce the contribution of aviation to climate change, it is essential to improve the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to reduce emissions and initiate research into new approaches.

Aerospace Engineering/Mechanical Engineering The definitive text on rocket propulsion-now completely revised to reflect rapid advancements in the field For more than fifty years, this seminal text has been regarded as the single most authoritative sourcebook on rocket propulsion technology. More comprehensive and coherently organized than any other book on the subject, Rocket Propulsion Elements guides readers evenhandedly through the complex factors that shape propulsion, with both theory and practical design considerations. With more than a third of the text and illustrations either completely new or extensively revised, this latest edition includes current information on engine structures, nozzle theory, gas properties, thrust chambers, launch vehicles, and more. With a detailed table of contents breaking down each chapter into subsections-as well as an expanded index of key words-the Seventh Edition efficiently steers readers quickly to the information they need. Other highlights include: * Separate chapters on liquid, solid, and hybrid propulsion systems and a new chapter on thrust chambers including the new aerospike nozzle * Comprehensive coverage of rocket propulsion technology, with applications to space flight, satellite flight, and guided and unguided missiles * Problem-solving examples and exercises relevant to actual design situations * More than 340 illustrations, including photographs, tables, and graphs * Coherent, up-to-date chapter on electrical propulsion balancing fundamentals with practical aspects and applications For professional engineers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering, this time-honored resource is indispensable for its scope of coverage and utility.