Alternative Plasma Sources for Space Agricultural Applications
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Kenneth Engeling↗
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Deflagration plasma thruster
This paper introduces the application of the magnetized plasma deflagration process to space propulsion. The deflagration process has the unique capability of efficiently converting input energy into kinetic energy in the accelerating direction. To illustrate the totally divergent characters of 'snowplow' detonation and deflagration discharges, examples of the differences between deflagration and detonation 'snowplow' discharges are expressed in terms of current densities, temperature, and particle velocities. Magnetic field profiles of the deflagration mode of discharges are measured. Typical attainable plasma characteristics are described in terms of velocity, electron temperature, and density, as well as measurement techniques. Specific impulses measured by piezo-electric probe and pendulum methods are presented. The influence of the transmission line in the discharge circuits on plasma velocity is measured by means of a microwave time-of-flight method. The results for the deflagration thruster are compared with other space thrusters. Further research areas are identified.
Cheng, D. Y.↗
Characterization of Low Pressure Cold Plasma in the Cleaning of Contaminated Surfaces
The characterization of low pressure cold plasma is a broad topic which would benefit many different applications involving such plasma. The characterization described in this paper focuses on cold plasma used as a medium in cleaning and disinfection applications. Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) are the two analytical methods used in this paper to characterize the plasma. OES analyzes molecules in the plasma phase by displaying the light emitted by the plasma molecules on a graph of wavelength vs. intensity. OES was most useful in identifying species which may interact with other molecules in the plasma, such as atomic oxygen or hydroxide radicals. Extracting useful data from the MS is done by filtering out the peaks generated by expected molecules and looking for peaks caused by foreign ones leaving the plasma chamber. This paper describes the efforts at setting up and testing these methods in order to accurately and effectively characterize the plasma.
cold plasma characterization↗
A multiple-scattering approach to transient electromagnetic interaction with plasmas
A multiple-scattering method is described which is applicable to the transient plasma problem concerning the interaction between transient electromagnetic waves and plasmas. The method starts with the time-dependent wave fields scattered by a linear electric dipole when illuminated by a transient plane wave. It avoids the use of Fourier transform methods and provides additional physical insight into the origin of the frequency-dispersive properties of material media. The results are applicable only to cold plasmas since spatial dispersion is neglected, implying that effects due to thermal velocities of electrons - such as incoherent scatter - are not covered by the theory. The advantages of the method for initiation of the student into transient electromagnetics in dispersive media are identified as conceptual simplicity and computational simplicity. The entire analysis is in the time domain.
Bowhill, S. A.↗
Plasma for the Space Environment: An Overview of the Research at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Human life amongst other planets requires vast technological advancements to sustain nutritional, environmental, and logistical needs. Plasma systems allow for advanced chemical processing while mitigating consumable needs or reliance on industrial infrastructure. Scientists at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are attempting to close technology gaps with research into plasmas and their applications. Some such work includes the use of plasma for waste gasification, water activation, nutrient recovery techniques, lunar regolith reduction for oxygen extraction, and space crop production support. Here we report on the needs, success criteria, and results of plasma efforts for crewed transit and planetary habitation.
Plasma↗
On the utility of conventional turbulence - Experimental methods in the study of plasma fluctuations.
Fluid dynamics turbulence experimental methods applications in study of plasma fluctuations, particularly space-time correlation and spectral techniques
Serafini, J. S.↗
Bodies in flowing plasmas - Spacecraft measurements
Results are reviewed from in-situ measurements relevant to the interaction of bodies in flowing plasmas. A brief discussion is given of the interaction in the general context of space plasma physics, including possible applications to solar-system plasmas. Attention is given to the mode of experimentation in the Shuttle/Spacelab era. It is noted that the majority of in-situ investigations during the past decade were limited to the very near surface of ionospheric satellites. It is expected that experiments to be carried out on board the Spacelab/Orbiter will make possible well-planned controlled experiments in the area of body-plasma interactions in its widest sense.
Samir, U.↗
Electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma acceleration
A research effort directed at analytically and experimentally investigating electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma acceleration is outlined. In addition, relevant past research is reviewed. Also, the prospects for application of ECR plasma acceleration to spacecraft propulsion are described. It is shown that previously unexplained losses in converting microwave power to directed kinetic power via ECR plasma acceleration can be understood in terms of diffusion of energized plasma to the physical walls of the accelerator. It is also argued that line radiation losses due to electron-ion and electron-atom inelastic collisions should be less than estimated in past research. Based on this new understanding, the expectation now exists that very efficient ECR plasma accelerators can be designed for application to high-specific-impulse spacecraft propulsion.
Sercel, Joel C.↗
Investigation of high energy radiation from a plasma focus
Included are seventeen topics covering the experimental setup, diagnostics, analyses and various applications of the plasma focus. An invention, a hypocycloidal-pinch apparatus, is also included.
Lee, J. H.↗
New ZrO2-Yb2O3 plasma-sprayed coatings for thermal barrier applications
New thermal barrier coatings, whose compositions were chosen on the basis of a limited study of the ZrO2-Yb2O3 system, were evaluated by cyclic testing in a furnace at 1120 C. On Ni-16.2Cr-5.9Al-0.15Y bond coating, ZrO2-12.4Yb2O3, ZrO2-14.7Yb2O3 and ZrO2-17.4Yb2O3 coatings have respectively 60, 30, and 15 percent longer lives than the near-optimum ZrO2-6.1Y2O3 coating. On Ni-18.3Cr-6.4Al-0.22Yb coating, ZrO2-12.4Yb2O3 has about 40 percent longer life than the ZrO2-6.1Y2O3 coating. The optimum Yb2O3 concentration in ZrO2 at which the maximum life is obtained is believed to be between 12.4 and 14.7 wt pct. The ZrO2-Yb2O3 thermal barrier systems failed through the formation of a crack or cracks in the thermal barrier coating near the bond coating interface. As-received ZrO2-Yb2O3 plasma spray powders had a nonhomogeneous distribution of Yb2O3. Monoclinic, cubic, and tetragonal phases in addition to Zr3Yb4O12 and an unknown phase were present.
Stecura, Stephan↗
Ginzburg-Landau theory for the solid-liquid interface of bcc elements. II - Application to the classical one-component plasma, the Wigner crystal, and He-4
The previously developed Ginzburg-Landau theory for calculating the crystal-melt interfacial tension of bcc elements to treat the classical one-component plasma (OCP), the charged fermion system, and the Bose crystal. For the OCP, a direct application of the theory of Shih et al. (1987) yields for the surface tension 0.0012(Z-squared e-squared/a-cubed), where Ze is the ionic charge and a is the radius of the ionic sphere. Bose crystal-melt interface is treated by a quantum extension of the classical density-functional theory, using the Feynman formalism to estimate the relevant correlation functions. The theory is applied to the metastable He-4 solid-superfluid interface at T = 0, with a resulting surface tension of 0.085 erg/sq cm, in reasonable agreement with the value extrapolated from the measured surface tension of the bcc solid in the range 1.46-1.76 K. These results suggest that the density-functional approach is a satisfactory mean-field theory for estimating the equilibrium properties of liquid-solid interfaces, given knowledge of the uniform phases.
Zeng, X. C.↗
Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma Liners
For practical applications of magnetized target fusion, standoff drivers to deliver the imploding momentum flux to the target plasma remotely are required. Quasi-spherically converging plasma jets have been proposed as standoff drivers for this purpose. The concept involves the dynamic formation of a quasi-spherical plasma liner by the merging of plasma jets, and the use of the liner so formed to compress a spheromak or a field reversed configuration (FRC). Theoretical analysis and computer modeling of the concept are presented. It is shown that, with the appropriate choice of the flow parameters in the liner and the target, the impact between the liner and the target plasma can be made to be shockless in the liner or to generate at most a very weak shock in the liner. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Thio, Y. C. Francis↗
Applications of numerical codes to space plasma problems
Solar wind, earth's bowshock, and magnetospheric convection and substorms were investigated. Topics discussed include computational physics, multifluid codes, ionospheric irregularities, and modeling laser plasmas.
Northrop, T. G.↗
Progress In Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma Liners
Magnetized target fusion (MTF) attempts to combine the favorable attributes of magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) for energy confinement with the attributes of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) for efficient compression heating and wall-free containment of the fusing plasma. It uses a material liner to compress and contain a magnetized plasma. For practical applications, standoff drivers to deliver the imploding momentum flux to the target plasma remotely are required. Spherically converging plasma jets have been proposed as standoff drivers for this purpose. The concept involves the dynamic formation of a spherical plasma liner by the merging of plasma jets, and the use of the liner so formed to compress a spheromak or a field reversed configuration (FRC).
Thio, Francis Y. C.↗
Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma Liners
Magnetized target fusion (MTF) attempts to combine the favorable attributes of magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) for energy confinement with the attributes of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) for efficient compression heating and wall-free containment of the fusing plasma. It uses a material liner to compress and contain a magnetized plasma. For practical applications, standoff drivers to deliver the imploding momentum flux to the target plasma remotely are required. Spherically converging plasma jets have been proposed as standoff drivers for this purpose. The concept involves the dynamic formation of a spherical plasma liner by the merging of plasma jets, and the use of the liner so formed to compress a spheromak or a field reversed configuration (FRC). For the successful implementation of the scheme, plasma jets of the requisite momentum flux density need to be produced. Their transport over sufficiently large distances (a few meters) needs to be assured. When they collide and merge into a liner, relative differences in velocity, density and temperature of the jets could give rise to instabilities in the development of the liner. Variation in the jet properties must be controlled to ensure that the growth rate of the instabilities are not significant over the time scale of the liner formation before engaging with the target plasma. On impact with the target plasma, some plasma interpenetration might occur between the liner and the target. The operating parameter space needs to be identified to ensure that a reasonably robust and conducting contact surface is formed between the liner and the target. A mismatch in the "impedance" between the liner and the target plasma could give rise to undesirable shock heating of the liner leading to increased entropy (thermal losses) in the liner. Any irregularities in the liner will accentuate the Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities during the compression of the target plasma by the liner.
Thio, Y. C. Francis↗
Plasma Activated Water: A Technology for Acid Generation and Space Crop Production
As humanity returns to the moon and onward to Mars, sustainable space travel becomes essential for cost and independence from Earth. Astronaut activities in low Earth orbit resupply consumable materials and can require alternative technologies if transportation of chemicals is deemed hazardous. Plasma technology and applications are able to generate commodities that assist in achieving Earth independence. Plasma interaction with water generates acid in-situ using on-board resources of electricity and breathable air without the need for large infrastructure. At Kennedy Space Center, researchers have shown that plasma is able to produce nitric acid, and therefore nitrates, in a plant-usable form in water. In this report, the team presents results on acid generation in g/kW-hr as well as provides results on plasma activated water for plant growth assistance. Plasma was generated utilizing DC, AC, and pulsed power supplies in order to determine optimizing parameters for generation of this useful commodity.
Plasma↗
Plasma Activated Water: A Technology for Acid Generation and Space Crop Production
As humanity returns to the moon and onward to Mars, sustainable space travel becomes essential for cost and independence from Earth. Astronaut activities in low Earth orbit resupply consumable materials and can require alternative technologies if transportation of chemicals is deemed hazardous. Plasma technology and applications are able to generate commodities that assist in achieving Earth independence. Plasma interaction with water generates acid in-situ using on-board resources of electricity and breathable air without the need for large infrastructure. At Kennedy Space Center, researchers have shown that plasma is able to produce nitric acid, and therefore nitrates, in a plant-usable form in water. In this report, the team presents results on acid generation in g/kW-hr as well as provides results on plasma activated water for plant growth assistance. Plasma was generated utilizing DC, AC, and pulsed power supplies in order to determine optimizing parameters for generation of this useful commodity.
Plasma↗
The G value in plasma and radiation chemistry
The application of the G-value concept to plasma chemistry is considered. A general formula which expresses the G value for a general reaction in terms of experimentally controllable parameters is derived by applying simple gas-dynamic theory to a plasma reactor with straight walls. The formula expresses the G value as a function of the electrical power absorbed, the fraction of molecules transformed, and the flow rate of the gas entering the reactor. The formula was applied to the ammonia plasma radio-frequency discharge data of d'Agostino et al. (1981); the results showed that the G(-NH3) value lies in the range of 6.0-20 molecules/100 eV, depending on the conditions. This similarity of the G(-NH3) value with Peterson's (1974) range 2.7-10 found for the gas-phase radiolysis of ammonia, suggests that there might be a common reaction mechanism initiated by inelastic electron-molecule collisions.
Baird, James K.↗