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A Progress Report
Unmeel B. Mehta
NASA Ames Research Center
1
Outline
2
Electromagnetic
Energy
Management
• Objective
− Hypersonic AYAKS-type concept evaluation, research,
technology, and development
• Output
− Assessment of MHD energy bypass engine concepts for
space transportation
– National MHD Accelerator Facility
• Outcome
– AYAKS-type concepts may contribute to reducing cost to
access space and enable global reach
– Increased enthalpy levels for testing in the ARC’s 20 MW
arc-jet facility
3
Major MHD Issues
Tech Challenges
Airframe/Engine Flight-Weight
Integration Ionization of Air MHD Accelerator MHD Devices
Approaches
Conductive and
Vehicle Development
Facility Theoretical Non-conductive, ultra-high
of Integrated temperature materials
Analysis Tools Development & Studies
and magnets
Experimental
EAST Facility Studies: Non-
Ionization & equilibrium Advanced
Equilibrium
Arc-Jet Tools
Lorentz Forces Ionization Ionization
Facility Development
5
Schematic View of a Spaceliner
reactors
nozzle
h
pitch P
h
6
Propulsive Flow Path Along A Two-
Plane Compression System
y, j, Ey
Ramp angle θ Side view
x,u
B H
h
Streamline
1st Shock 2nd Shock 3rd Shock 4th Shock
P h
Reactor
Plan view
Cowl leading edge
Shock waves and cesium or potassium seed
assist in achieving equilibrium ionization.
ionization 7
Optimum Configurations
(V = 3.75 km/s, M c = 1.5, H = 7 m, α1 = 1/0.95, α2 = 0.95)
7m
17.1o
non-MHD
7m
22.1o
46 m
8
2000
Mc = 1.5, H = 7 m
α1 = 0.95, α2 = 1/0.95
1500
Specific impulse, sec
1000
Vehicle performance
Energy bypass ratio 0.282
Specific impulse 649.5 sec
10
Four-Shock Designs
1st ramp
3rd ramp
Configuration 1
flow
2nd ramp
MHD generator
combustor nozzle
MHD accelerator transition
1st ramp
3rd ramp
Configuration 2
flow
2nd ramp
MHD generator
combustor nozzle
MHD accelerator
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Typical Variation of Gas Temperature
and Required External Power
8
3000 8x10
2500 equilibration
equil distance xeq
1000
2
3
500
initial impulsive external power
expended: P0 = 106 MW
0 0
30.0 30.2 30.4 30.6 30.8 31.0 31.2
Distance from nose tip x, m
12
External-to-Flow Power Ratio
0.8
V = 2500 m/s
Configurations 0-2
2750
External power (P)/ flow power η2/η3
3000
0.6 3250
3500
0.4
0.2
Configurations 1, 2
4
2750
3
3000
3250
2
3500
3750
1 4000
4250
4500
0
5 10 15 20 25
Ramp angle θ, deg
14
Comparison of Specific Impulses
V = 3.75 km/s, q = 1 atm, M c < 1.503,
m f = 378.3 kg/s/m, Vehicle height = 7 m, Comb. = 0.45 m
MHD gen. length = 2.72 m, & MHD accel. length = 2.85 m
800
700 Con. 1 Con. 1 Con. 1 Con. 3 SSME
600
Isp , 500
sec
400
300
200
100
0
M H D Non-MHD Rocket
Equil. Nonequil.
15
MHD Accelerator Facility Program
Objective …
• National Facility for MHD-Bypass Engine Technology
− Demonstrate MHD accelerator technology
− Validate theoretical/computational predictive tools
− Create National MHD Accelerator Facility
Approach …
• Technology demonstration project s
− Conduct a pilot MHD accelerator study in the EAST Facility at NASA
Ames Research Center (ARC)
− NASA MSFC Phase III FAST Track of Air Force Phase II SBIR with
LyTEC LLC as prime contractor
• Design and demonstrate a pilot MHD accelerator for 1MW arc-jet at MSFC
• Design an MHD accelerator of 20MW arc-jet at ARC
• Develop National Facility at NASA ARC
− EAST MHD Accelerator Facility
− Arc-Jet MHD Accelerator Facility
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MHD Accelerator in the EAST
Facility: Objectives
• Determine
− Back EMFs (no power input)
− Flow acceleration and joule heating
− Best load factor and Hall parameter attainable
• Measure true conductivity, with and without
magnetic field
• Investigate
− Shorting in parallel boundary layers due to locally high load
factor
− Energy loss in perpendicular boundary layers due to cathode
and anode fall heating
− Faraday connected channel (Hall connected channel possible
later)
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Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST)
18
MHD Accelerator: Assembly
20
Internal Views of the MHD Accerator
21
Assembly with Current Feed and
Magnetic Field Current Conductors
22
Pitot Rake
23
MHD Channel Operating Conditions
24
Diagnostics
• Diagnostics
− Shock velocity
− Static pressures
− light emission at nozzle entrance and upstream of channel entrance
to determine test time
− Impact pressure rake at channel exit
− Main electrode currents and voltages
− Floating potential voltages (for conductivity measurements)
• Other possible diagnostics
− CCD camera movies may be taken to show oblique shock angles
and thus, Mach number. Temperature may be obtainable
spectroscopically from line intensity measurements.
• A data acquistion system with 48 channels and a speed of 1
MHz is available. Eight channels can be run at speeds up to
10 MHz and 36 channels at 1 MHz can be converted to 9
channels at 5 MHz, if required.
25
Conclusions
• The energy management with electromagnetic
forces and facilitated by equilibrium ionization
could enhance the performance of scramjet.
− SSTO spaceplane
− First stage of a TSTO spaceplane & globecruiser
• The MHD accelerator for the EAST Facility is
built.
26