Experimental investigation of the electromagnetic acceleration mechanisms in an applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster

Abstract The high specific impulse and efficiency of the applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (AF-MPDT) make it one of the most promising electric thrusters in deep space exploration. However, the crucial electromagnetic acceleration mechanisms are still not clearly investigated, which limits performance improvement. The electromagnetic acceleration mechanism is closely related to the current path and magnetic field distribution in the plume. Experiments are conducted using a water-cooled Hall probe in the steady-state AF-MPDT plume. The radial, azimuthal and axial magnetic fields are measured, then the current density and Lorentz force density are calculated. The results show that the outflow current accounts for 63% to 82% of the thruster discharge current depending on the strength of the applied magnetic field. Moreover, the outflow current can extend the range of electromagnetic force action, which in turn increases the effect of electromagnetic acceleration. The radial Lorentz force is numerically dominant, and the combined effect of the radial Lorentz force and axial Lorentz force is to compress the plasma toward the axis. In electromagnetic acceleration, Self-field contributions are less than 5%, while E × B acceleration constitutes −12.2%–21.2%, and diamagnetic acceleration dominates at approximately 76.7%–90.5%. Finally, a method for evaluating the rotational velocity was presented based on the MHD equations. The centrifugal force was then calculated by combining this with the plasma density. At the thruster outlet, the centrifugal force is significant and cannot be ignored in comparison to the radial Lorentz force.