Practical ground‐to‐orbit and inter‐orbital space flights both require propulsion systems of large flight‐path‐averaged specific impulse (Isp) and engine system thrust‐to‐mass‐ratio (F/me=[F]) for useful payload and structure fractions in single‐stage vehicles (Hunter 1966). Current rocket and air‐breathing engine technologies lead to enormous vehicles and small payloads; a natural result of the limited specific energy available from chemical reactions. While nuclear energy far exceeds these specific energy limits (Bussard and DeLauer 1958), the inherent high‐Isp advantages of fission propulsion concepts for space and air‐breathing flight (Bussard and DeLauer 1965) are negated for manned systems by the massive radiation shielding required by their high radiation output (Bussard 1971). However, there are well‐known radiation‐free nuclear fusion reactions (Gross 1984) between isotopes of selected light elements (such as H+11B, D+3He) that yield only energetic charged particles, whose energy can be converted directly into electricity by confining electric fields (Moir and Barr 1973,1983). New confinement concepts using magnetic‐electric‐potentials (Bussard 1989a) or inertial‐collisional‐compression (ICC) (Bussard 1990) have been found that offer the prospect of clean, compact fusion systems with very high output and low mass. Their radiation‐free d.c. electrical output can power unique new electron‐beam‐driven thrust systems of extremely high performance. Parametric design studies show that such charged‐particle electric‐discharge engines (‘‘QED’’ engines) might yield rocket propulsion systems with performance in the ranges of 2<[F]<6 and 1500sp<5500 sec.
The QED engine system: Direct‐electric fusion‐powered rocket propulsion systems
10th SymposiumùSpace Nuclear Power and Propulsion ; 1993 ; Albuquerque, NM, USA
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 271 , 3 ; 1601-1612
1993-01-20
12 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
PROPULSION SYSTEMS , HELIUM 3 , PLASMA HEATING , SPECIFIC IMPULSE , THERMONUCLEAR FUELS , SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS , DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION , THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS , PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS , ELECTRIC FIELDS , INERTIAL CONFINEMENT , HYDROGEN , THRUST−TO−MASS RATIO , ELECTRIC POTENTIAL , BORON 11 , FEASIBILITY STUDIES , DEUTERIUM , MAGNETIC FIELDS , ANEUTRONIC THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
A direct fusion drive for rocket propulsion
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