ELECTRICAL ROCKET ENGINES

ELECTRICAL ROCKET ENGINES

Electric propulsion engines generate exhaust velocities from about 4 to more than 100 times those of chemical rocket engines.
There are three basic types of electrical rocket engines. They are :
1. Arc plasma rocket engine
2. Ion rocket engine
3. Magneto-plasma rocket engine

1. ARC PLASMA ROCKET ENGINE

It is one of the simplest types of electrical rocket engines. It consists of:
(1) Propellant tank
(2) Combustion chamber (or) thrust chamber
(3) Cooling system
(4) Electric power supply

The combustion chamber (or) thrust chamber contains two electrodes. The nozzle walls serve as the cathode, and an electrode within the chamber is serve as the anode.

Liquid fuel from the propellant tank is pumped to a thrust chamber. When electric power supply is given, an arc is formed between cathode and anode. When the propellant is passing through the arc, an electrically neutral plasma gases (ionized gases) are produced. The highly heated plasma gases are then allowed to expand in the nozzle section. In the nozzle, pressure energy converted into kinetic energy, So the plasma gases coming out from the unit with very high velocity. The velocity produced is 4000 to 19,500 m/s. Due to high velocity of plasma gases coming out from the unit, a force or thrust is produced in the opposite direction, This thrust propels the rocket. The propellant can be used to cool the chamber regeneratively before passing into the chamber.

2. ION ROCKET ENGINE

It consists of:
(1) Propellant tank
(2) Thrust chamber
(3) Electric power supply
(4) Vaporizing chamber

Liquid fuel from the propellant tank is pumped to a vaporizing chamber. In vaporizing chamber, the propellant is heated and vaporized. The vaporized propellant is then passed to the ionization chamber where the propellant is ionized. The resultant ions are then accelerated by an electric field and discharged. Due to high velocity ions coming out from the unit, a force or thrust is produced in the opposite direction. This thrust propels the rocket.

3. MAGNETO-PLASMA ROCKET ENGINE (OR) MAGNETO HYDRODYNAMIC ROCKET ENGINE (MHD)

It consists of:
(1) Propellant tank
(2) Propellant pump
(3) Arc chamber (or) Thrust chamber
(4) Accelerator

Liquid fuel from the propellant tank is pumped to an arc chamber. In arc chamber, plasma gases are produced similar to arc plasma engine. The plasma gases are then passes through an accelerator. Magnetic field is used to accelerate the plasma gases. Due to this, plasma gases are coming out from the unit with high velocity. Due to high velocity of plasma gases coming out from the unit, a force (or) thrust is produced in opposite direction. This thrust propels the rocket.

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