An experimental and an analytical investigations on a low power dc arcjet were made. High and low modes had already been found: the high and low modes correspond to high and low discharge voltages, and high and low thermal efficiencies, respectively. In order to characterize these discharge modes, spectroscopic measurement was adopted in the constrictor. The thermal equilibrium was consistent only in the vicinity of the constrictor entrance in the high mode. On the otherhand, the entire region in the constrictor was far from the thermal equilibrium in the low mode. The discharge status of each mode was discussed. The high mode did not correspond to the so-called constricted arc discharge mode. One dimensional arc column model was also conducted so as to simulate the high mode discharge. The analytical results showed a good agreement with the experimental. The model also gave a suggestion for the determination of the arc colum length, which maximize the thermal efficiency, referring to the least-work principle.
Optical and analytical studies of arc column in DC arcjet
Optische und analytische Untersuchungen des Lichtbogenstrahls in einem elektrothermischen Triebwerk
AIAA-Papers ; May ; 1-7
1987
7 Seiten, 13 Bilder, 3 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Arcjet cathode erosion studies
AIAA | 1989
|Online Contents | 1993
|AIAA | 1996
|Online Contents | 1996
|