A Multi pulse experiment of a microwave-beaming thruster

Oda, Yasuhisa*; Komurasaki, Kimiya*; Takahashi, Koji; Kasugai, Atsushi; Sakamoto, Keishi

Proceedings of 25th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS-25) (CD-ROM), p.177 - 181, 2006/06

The thrust generation model of a pulse detonation engine (PDE) was applied to a microwave beaming thruster composed of a cylindrical tube, because an ionization front propagates in the tube absorbing microwave power following a shock wave. Total impulsive thrust was estimated by integrating the pressure history at the thrust wall. The thrust for a thruster with the tube length of = 0.18m was 0.16Ns. It was twice as large as that measured in the flight experiment. This discrepancy would be caused during the air-refilling process. Pressure histories under multi pulse operation were also measured at the frequency from 40Hz to 15Hz. The shock velocity and pressure in the thruster changed with the pulse repetition frequency. Although impulsive thrust was decreased with pulse repetition frequency, the decrease in thrust at the frequency lower than 20Hz was allowably small.