Compact Efficient 1 kW Electric Thruster

Award Information

Agency: Department of Defense	Branch: Missile Defense Agency	Award ID: 18074	Program Year/Program: 1992 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number: 18074	Solicitation Year: N/A	Solicitation Topic Code: N/A	Solicitation Number: N/A

Small Business Information: Applied Pulse Power, Inc.
140 Langmuir Lab., 95 Brown Road Ithaca, NY 14850
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Woman-Owned: No

Minority-Owned: No

HUBZone-Owned: No

Phase 1: Fiscal Year: 1992

Title: Compact Efficient 1 kW Electric Thruster

Agency / Branch: DOD / MDA

Contract: N/A

Award Amount: $49,738.00

Abstract:
A proof-of-concept prototype of a new type of pulsed plasma thruster with a specific impulse of 3000s will be built. Based upon a recently developed plasma source, the "X-line thruster" concept operates by inductively driving an electrodeless discharge in a small volume of gas, and then accelerating the resulting plasma with a pulsed magnetic field. A novel continuous flow gas feed and magnetic field configuration makes it possible to build a 1kW class thruster in a volume of about 1 liter. By operating at a 20 kHz repetition rate, only a fraction of a joule is needed per drive pulse, allowing a simple circuit design with small, lightweight, reliable capacitors and solid-state switching to be used. High gas efficiency, electrical efficiency of 30-50% and long component life are projected in steady state operation. The gas feed arrangement permits scaling the X-line thruster to larger area and higher average power without penalty in gas or electrical efficiency, or in repetition rate.

Principal Investigator:
Steven Glidden
6072571971

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Applied Pulse Power, Inc.
140 Langmuir Lab., 95 Brown Road Ithaca, NY 14850

EIN/Tax ID:

DUNS: N/A

Number of Employees:

Woman-Owned: No

Minority-Owned: No

HUBZone-Owned: No