NON-CHEMICAL PROPULSIONPresented by:Mashooq O

CONTENTS Introduction Types of Non-chemical propulsion systems Description Advantages

WHAT IS PROPULSION? Means of creating force leading to movement Source of mechanical power used to

generate force

INTRODUCTION Chemical Propulsion involves the chemical

reaction of propellants to move or control a spacecraft

Primary propulsion, reaction control, station keeping, precision pointing, and orbital manoeuvring

Non-chemical Propulsion eliminates the use of chemical reactants

TYPES OF NON-CHEMICAL PROPULSIONElectric Propulsion Electro Thermal Resistojets

ArcjetsElectrostatic Ion Thrusters

Hall ThrustersElectromagnetic Pulsed Inductive

Magnetoplasmadynamic

Thermal Propulsion

Solar Thermal

Nuclear Thermal

Solar Sail Propulsion Solar Sails

ELECTRIC PROPULSION Uses electrical energy to change the velocity

of a spacecraft Work by electrically expelling propellant at

high speed

ELECTROTHERMAL Propulsion of spacecraft by using an electric 

arc or other electric heater Bring propellant to high temperature

RESISTOJETS Use an electrically heated element in contact

with the propellant Increase the enthalpy prior to expansion

through a nozzle Commercial communications satellites for

station keeping, orbit insertion, attitude control, and de-orbiting

Power level ranging from 467-885W Low power (80%) and very high specific

impulse (2000 to over 10,000 seconds)

ARCJETS Uses electric arc to heat the propellant prior

to expansion through a nozzle Primarily used in commercial

communications satellites for station keeping Power level ranges from 1670 to 2000W

ELECTROSTATIC PROPULSION Rely upon electric fields for accelerating and

expelling ions to produce thrust and propel the space craft

Electrically charges atoms from an on-board fuel supply

Inert gas is injected into the ionisation chamber then expelled for propulsion

ION THRUSTERS Employ a variety of plasma generation

techniques to ionize a large fraction of the propellant

High voltage grids extract the ions from the plasma

Electrostatically accelerate them to high velocity

HALL THRUSTERS Utilize both electric and magnetic field to

generate the plasma Perpendicular electric field accelerates ions

to high exhaust velocities Transverse field inhibits electron motion that

would tend to short out the electric field Produces Isp 1200-2000 seconds and

efficiency of 50-70%

ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPULSION Accelerating an object by the utilization of a

flowing electrical current and magnetic fields Either create an opposing magnetic field, or

to charge a fluid, which can then be repelled

PULSED INDUCTIVE THRUSTER Creates plasma by inductive breakdown of

gaseous propellant transiently puffed onto the surface of an induction coil

Energy stored in a bank of capacitors Generates a flat ring of current Efficiency of greater than 50%, and an Isp of

2000-9000 seconds in a single pulse

MAGNETOPLASMADYNAMIC THRUSTER Employ the interaction of high currents with

magnetic fields to accelerate ionized propellant

Offer high efficiency and very high power processing capability in a small volume

Variants on the MPD thruster: steady state self-field engines, steady state applied-field engines and quasi-steady thrusters

Efficiencies of over 50% at Isp greater than 10,000 seconds

THERMAL PROPULSION Propellant is heated Heated propellant would be fed through a

conventional rocket nozzle to produce thrust

SOLAR THERMAL PROPULSION Heats the propellant with concentrated

sunlight inside an absorber cavity Solar energy is focused inside either a direct

gain or thermal storage type engine configuration

Engine operated as a heat exchanger with the propellant

Provides a very high specific impulse (~500–1200 seconds)

Solar concentrator may be rigid, segmented or inflatable

NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION High thrust, high Isp propulsion technology Demonstrated thrusts double that compared

to chemical propulsion Comprises of two: Fusion and Fission

propulsion High Isp allows reductions of the initial mass

in low earth orbit 7,500 to 250,000 lbs of thrust with specific

impulses of 800 to 900 seconds

SOLAR SAIL PROPULSION Uses sunlight to propel vehicles through

space Technology uses solar photons which are

reflected off sails made of lightweight, reflective material

Continuous photonic pressure provides enough thrust to perform manoeuvres

SOLAR SAILS Require no on-board propellant, thus

reducing payload mass Produce thrust by reflecting solar photons

and thus transferring much of their momentum to the sail

Demonstrated both photon acceleration and attitude control

Due to the constraints of gravity, solar sail propulsion performance is limited

ADVANTAGES OF NCP SYSTEMS Non-chemical propulsion require much less

propellant to produce the same overall effect Produced force can be applied continuously

for very long periods Electric thrusters possess the ability to

regulate the force applied to the spacecraft very accurately

Solar thermal systems have longer-life, lower-cost, more-flexible cryogenic upper stage and reusable inter-orbital tugs

Nuclear rockets are more fuel efficient and much lighter than chemical rockets

Condensed trip times would help reduce astronaut and instrument exposure to harmful radiation

The major advantage of a solar-sail spacecraft is its ability to travel between the planets and to the stars without carrying fuel.

Solar-sail spacecraft, which have gradual but constant acceleration, can achieve greater velocities than conventional chemical rockets

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