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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Towards a 1000 tracks digital tape recorder

As the demand for high data rate (up to 1 Gb/s), high density (down to 1 sq micron/bit) tape recorder increases, the main investigation trend is an improvement of the well known helical scan concept. The drawbacks of this technology are also well known; sophisticated mechanics, head to tape contact, and wear problems. In our fixed head approach, the recorder mechanics is made much more simple, but the complexity is turned towards the integrated magnetic components, which have to record and reproduce hundreds of tracks in parallel. Our multiplexed write inductive head and magneto-optical readout head will be described, and the global system performances evaluated.

Coutellier, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Global auroral imaging: Dynamics of Explorer Miss ion

An automated contour analysis of auroral images from the DESAI database is being developed. The goal is to be able to feed DESAI images to the software and let it automatically determine the inner and outer boundaries of the auroral oval of a given set of DESAI images. With these contours established, the software will determine the enclosed polar cap area and (model based) integrated magnetic flux through that area. Through the use of this automated system, it will be possible to analyze a large fraction of the DESAI database and correlate it with various other solar-terrestrial space plasma physics parameters and indices.

Frank, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Plasmoid Thruster for Space Propulsion

There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are classified according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (BP and Bt, respectively). An Object with B P t >> 1 is classified as a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if B, = Bt, it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster operates by producing FRC-like plasmoids, and subsequently ejecting them from the device at high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s (l), and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s should be possible. This concept should be capable of producing Isp s in the range of 5,000 - 10,000 s with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N/sq m. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5-10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to several MW s. The plasmoids mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras, and a laser interferometer. Also of key importance will be measurements of the efficiency and mass utilization. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing.

Koelfgen, Syri J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Plasmoid Thruster for Space Propulsion

There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are classified according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(sub p), and B(sub t), respectively). An object with B(sub p), / B(sub t) much greater than 1 is classified as a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC); if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster operates by producing FRC-like plasmoids and subsequently ejecting them from the device at a high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single-turn conical theta-pinch coil. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s, and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s should be possible. This concept should be capable of producing Isp's in the range of 5,000 - 15,000 s with thrust densities on the order of 10(exp 5) N per square meters. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5 - 10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to several MW's. The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras and a laser interferometer. Also of key importance will be measurements of the efficiency and mass utilization. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time-dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing.

Koelfgen, Syri J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(phi), and B(tau), respectively). An object with B(phi)/B(tau) >> 1 is classified as a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if B(phi) = B(tau), it is called a Spheromak. There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A thruster based on this concept would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids and ejecting them from the device at high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil; as this process is inductive, there are no life-limiting electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s (l), and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s are possible. A thruster based on this concept would be capable of producing an I(sp) in the range of 5,000 - 10,OOO s, with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N/m(exp 2). The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5-10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to higher power. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the feasibility of this plasma propulsion concept. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to determine: a.) specific impulse and thrust, b.) efficiency and mass utilization, c.) which type of plasmoid (FRC-like or Spheromak-like) gives the best performance, and d.) the characteristics required of actual thruster components (i.e., switch and capacitor technology). The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras, and an interferometer. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing. The PTX device is currently undergoing initial testing and preliminary experimental results are presented.

Eskridge, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2004

Progress on the Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(sub p) and B(sub t), respectively). An object with B(sub p)/B(sub t), much much more than 1 is called a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is called a Spheromak. The thruster operates by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated and ejected at high velocity. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Also, the magnetic structure of the plasmoid should suppress thermal and mass losses to the wall, and improve detachment of the plasma exhaust from the thruster. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp in the range of 5,000 - 10,000 s with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N per square meters. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5-10 kW, although the concept should be scalable into the MW range. In PTX, the plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil (17.58 cone angle). The coil is driven by a 640 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank, which rings at a frequency of 500 kHz. Previous experiments on PTX were conducted with a static-fill of propellant gas (6% H2 in He), and demonstrated reliable ionization over a pressure range of 40 - 200 mTorr. We are now adding a fast gas-puff valve to load the propellant, and a ringing pre-ionization circuit (f = 5 Mhz) to better control the plasmoid formation. An alternate coil (8.58 cone angle) will also be used, so as to investigate the effect of coil shape on performance. In addition, a variety of propellants will be used, including hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon. The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including external B-dot probes and flux loops, a high-speed framing camera, and a HeNe laser interferometer. Internal B-dot probes and a quadruple Langmuir probe will provide additional measurements of the plasmoid shape and structure, as well as density, and will be described in a companion paper. The experimental results will be compared to calculations made using a 0-D coil-gun model and also a 2-D time dependent MHD code.

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. If B(sup p)/B(sub t) is much greater than 1, it is an FRC; if B(sub p) approximately equals B(sub t), it is a Spheromak. A plasmoid thruster would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated to high velocity. The process is inductive, and the magnetic structure of the plasmoid suppresses thermal and mass losses, and improves detachment of the exhaust. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp in the range of 5,000 - 10,OOO seconds, with high thrust density. PTX is a device designed to study this concept. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil, driven by a 560 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank. Experiments conducted with a static-fill of propellant gas (6% H2 in He) demonstrated reliable ionization over a pressure range of 40 - 200 mTorr. A fast gas-puff valve to inject propellant has since been added, and a ringing pre-ionization circuit to independently control ionization has been tested. Hydrogen, deuterium, argon, and an N2/H2 mixture have been tried as propellants. Measurements of the plasmoid shape, mass, and velocity, using a variety of diagnostics will be presented,

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. If B(sub p/B(sub t) much greater than 1 it is an FRC; if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is a Spheromak. A plasmoid thruster would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated to high velocity. The process is inductive, and the magnetic structure of the plasmoid suppresses thermal and mass losses, and improves detachment of the exhaust, This concept should be capable of producing an Isp in the range of 5,000 - l0,000 seconds, with high thrust density. PTX is a device designed to study this concept. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil, driven by a 560 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank. Experiments conducted with a static-fill of propellant gas (6% H2 in He) demonstrated liable ionization over a pressure range of 40 - 200 mTorr. A fast gas-puff valve to inject propellant has since been added, and a ringing preionization circuit to independently control ionization has been tested, hydrogen, deuterium, argon, and an N2 / H2 mixture have been tried as propellants. Measurements of the plasmoid shape, mass, and velocity, using a variety of diagnostics will be presented.

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2005

Progress on the Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid, also called a compact toroid, is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (Bp and Bt, respectively). An object with Bp/Bt much greater than 1 is called a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if Bp = Bt, it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster is a pulsed inductive device which operates by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated and ejected at high velocity. As the process is inductive, this thruster avoids the problem of electrode erosion. Also, the magnetic structure of the plasmoid should suppress thermal and mass losses to the wall, and improve detachment of the plasma exhaust from the thruster. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp of 5,000 seconds and greater, with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N/sq m. The plasmoid thruster consists chiefly of a conical theta-pinch coil. Propellant is introduced onto a bias magnetic field, produced by an auxiliary coil, and is then pre-ionized, freezing in the magnetic field. The theta-pinch coil is then energized producing a field aligned anti- parallel to the bias field. The reversed field reconnects with the bias field to form the plasmoid. The magnetic pressure of the reversed field accelerates the plasmoid out of the thruster . A series of experiments have been conducted on the PTX device, which consisted of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil, driven by a 560 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank, which rang at a frequency of 500 kHz, and served all three functions required for formation: pre-ionization, bias field loading, and field reversal. Initial ionization was found to occur in an annular region at the exit plane of the coil, and was found to be reproducible with a variety of gases, including H2, D2, Ar, and an H2/N2 mixture (75% / 25%). A fast gas valve for injecting propellant has been tested, as well as a ringing pre-ionization circuit (operating at 5 Mhz) to better control the plasmoid formation. Velocities as high as 20 km/s have been measured for a plasmoid propagating into a static back-fill of neutral gas. Magnetic field and density measurements indicate that the plasmoid retains its structure well into the down-stream exhaust region, and that it is capable of pushing a dense cloud of neutral gas in front of it. Further experiments will focus on the effects of coil geometry and bias-field strength on the performance of the device. A high-power solid-state switching system is being developed in order to replace the spark-gap switch.

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2008

PT-1 Plasmoid Thruster Capable of Multi-Mode Operation

This slide presentation reviews the concept of a Plasmoid Thruster that is capable of operating in several different modes. A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. A plasmoid thruster would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated to high velocity. The process is inductive, and the magnetic structure of the plasmoid suppresses thermal and mass losses, and improves detachment of the exhaust. The Drive and Bias circuits, the gas distribution, the pre-ionization stage, and the operation sequence are detailed. The advantages of the Plasmoid thruster and the research and technology required for development of this form of propulsion is reviewed.

Miller, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1985

Design and testing of a coaxial linear magnetic spring with integral linear motor

The design of a coaxial linear magnetic spring which incorporates a linear motor to control axial motion and overcome system damping is presented, and the results of static and dynamic tests are reported. The system has nominal stiffness 25,000 N/m and is designed to oscillate a 900-g component over a 4.6-mm stroke in a Stirling-cycle cryogenic refrigerator being developed for long-service (5-10-yr) space applications (Stolfi et al., 1983). Mosaics of 10 radially magnetized high-coercivity SmCO5 segments enclosed in Ti cans are employed, and the device is found to have quality factor 70-100, corresponding to energy-storage efficiency 91-94 percent. Drawings, diagrams, and graphs are provided.

Patt, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Integrity of the Plasma Magnetic Nozzle

This report examines the physics governing certain aspects of plasma propellant flow through a magnetic nozzle, specifically the integrity of the interface between the plasma and the nozzle s magnetic field. The injection of 100s of eV plasma into a magnetic flux nozzle that converts thermal energy into directed thrust is fundamental to enabling 10 000s of seconds specific impulse and 10s of kW/kg specific power piloted interplanetary propulsion. An expression for the initial thickness of the interface is derived and found to be approx.10(exp -2) m. An algorithm is reviewed and applied to compare classical resistivity to gradient-driven microturbulent (anomalous) resistivity, in terms of the spatial rate and time integral of resistive interface broadening, which can then be related to the geometry of the nozzle. An algorithm characterizing plasma temperature, density, and velocity dependencies is derived and found to be comparable to classical resistivity at local plasma temperatures of approx. 200 eV. Macroscopic flute-mode instabilities in regions of "adverse magnetic curvature" are discussed; a growth rate formula is derived and found to be one to two e-foldings of the most unstable Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mode. After establishing the necessity of incorporating the Hall effect into Ohm s law (allowing full Hall current to flow and concomitant plasma rotation), a critical nozzle length expression is derived in which the interface thickness is limited to about 1 ion gyroradius.

Gerwin, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Transient scattering from dielectric cylinders - E-field, H-field, and combined field solutions

In this work, the problem of transient scattering by arbitrarily shaped two-dimensional dielectric cylinders is solved using the marching-on-in-time technique. The dielectric problem is approached via the equivalence principle. Three different formulations, namely, the electric field integral equation formulation, the magnetic field integral equation formulation, and the combined field integral equation formulation are considered. Numerical results are presented for two cross sections, namely, a circle and a square, and compared with inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) techniques. In each case, good agreement is obtained with the IDFT solution.

Vechinski, Douglas A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Novel Integrated Radial and Axial Magnetic Bearing

Typically, fully active magnetically suspended systems require one axial and two radial magnetic bearings. Combining radial and axial functions into a single device allows for more compact and elegant packaging. Furthermore, in the case of high-speed devices such as energy storage flywheels, it is beneficial to minimize shaft length to keep rotor mode frequencies as high as possible. Attempts have been made to combine radial and axial functionality, but with certain drawbacks. One approach requires magnetic control flux to flow through a bias magnet reducing control effectiveness, thus resulting in increased resistive losses. This approach also requires axial force producing magnetic flux to flow in a direction into the rotor laminate that is undesirable for minimizing eddy-current losses resulting in rotational losses. Another approach applies a conical rotor shape to what otherwise would be a radial heteropolar magnetic bearing configuration. However, positional non-linear effects are introduced with this scheme and the same windings are used for bias, radial, and axial control adding complexity to the controller and electronics. For this approach, the amount of axial capability must be limited. It would be desirable for an integrated radial and axial magnetic bearing to have the following characteristics, separate inputs for radial and axial control for electronics and control simplicity, all magnetic control fluxes should only flow through their respective air gaps and should not flow through any bias magnets for minimal resistive losses, be of a homopolar design to minimize rotational losses, position related non-linear effects should be minimized, and dependent upon the design parameters, be able to achieve any radial/axial force or power ratio as desired. The integrated radial and axial magnetic bearing described in this paper exhibits all these characteristics. Magnetic circuit design, design equations, and analysis results will be presented.

Blumenstock, Kenneth A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Novel Integration Radial and Axial Magnetic Bearing

Typically, fully active magnetically suspended systems require one axial and two radial magnetic bearings. Combining radial and axial functions into a single device allows for more compact and elegant packaging. Furthermore, in the case of high-speed devices such as energy storage flywheels, it is beneficial to minimize shaft length to keep rotor mode frequencies as high as possible. Attempts have been made to combine radial and axial functionality, but with certain drawbacks. One approach requires magnetic control flux to flow through a bias magnet reducing control effectiveness, thus resulting in increased resistive losses. This approach also requires axial force producing magnetic flux to flow in a direction into the rotor laminate that is undesirable for minimizing eddy-current losses resulting in rotational losses. Another approach applies a conical rotor shape to what otherwise would be a radial heteropolar magnetic bearing configuration. However, positional non-linear effects are introduced with this scheme and the same windings are used for bias, radial, and axial control adding complexity to the controller and electronics. For this approach, the amount of axial capability must be limited. It would be desirable for an integrated radial and axial magnetic bearing to have the following characteristics; separate inputs for radial and axial control for electronics and control simplicity, all magnetic control fluxes should only flow through their respective air gaps and should not flow through any bias magnets for minimal resistive losses, be of a homopolar design to minimize rotational losses, position related non-linear effects should be minimized, and dependent upon the design parameters, be able to achieve any radial/axial force or power ratio as desired. The integrated radial and axial magnetic bearing described in this paper exhibits all these characteristics. Magnetic circuit design, design equations, and magnetic field modeling results will be presented.

Blumenstock, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Hybrid Symmetric FEM/MOM Formulation Applied to Scattering by Inhomogeneous Bodies of Revolution

A new symmetric formulation of the Hybrid Finite Element Method (HFEM) is described which combines elements of the Electric Field Integral Equation (EFIE) and the Magnetic Field Integral Equation (MFIE) for the exterior region along with the finite element solution for the interior problem. The formulation is applied to scattering by inhomogeneous bodies of revolution. To avoid spurious modes in the interior region a combination of vector and nodal based finite elements are used. Integral equations in the exterior region are used to enforce the Sommerfield radiation condition by matching both the tangential electric and magnetic fields between interior and exterior regions.

Lee, J-F.↗