The influence of laser coupling on the discharge and thrust characteristics of pulsed plasma thrusters

Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (APPTs) are constrained by the limitations of propellant material and supply methods, which result in low system efficiency and propellant utilisation rates. Notably, the spark plug, which serves as the inductive plasma source for the main discharge, consumes energy that does not effectively contribute to the thruster's impulse and also impacts the operational lifespan of the thruster. This study aims to explore effective methods to improve the performance of the thruster system through laser coupling, this study experimentally investigated the performance of a laser-EM coupled pulsed plasma thruster using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and aluminium as propellants under various energy conditions. A comparative analysis with the performance of a conventional APPT revealed that the laserEM coupled APPT can utilize propellants, including metallic materials, and the ablation of the propellant can be precisely controlled by the laser. Under the same initial energy conditions, although the single pulse ablation mass is reduced, the system specific impulse and efficiency are significantly enhanced.