Pulsed-inductive-plasma thruster

Summary form only given. The Flux-Coil-Generated, Field-Reversed Configuration Experiment (RFDX) at Tri Alpha Energy, Inc. (TAE) requires an initial source of plasma, from which an FRC is formed diamagnetically, using a central, flux-coil solenoid. Pulsed-Inductive-Plasma Thrusters (PIPTs) have been used previously on the TAE C-1 Experiment. This paper details the simulation, design, and measured performance for a new set of PIPTs developed for the RFDX. The simulation involves coupled differential equations for the circuit and plasma parameters, including acceleration. Plasma measurements made at the surface of the thruster indicate that the density is in the range, n = 10¹⁴-10¹⁵ cm^-3, temperature, Ti ~ 30 eV, axialion velocity, Vi ~ 100 eV, and 1-m downstream, at the center of the confinement vessel, n = 10¹²-10¹⁴ cm^-3, temperature, T ~ 10 eV, and total plasma energy content, W_p ~ 30 J: the ion temperature was measured spectroscopically, the density by an IR laser interferometer, the axial velocity by Doppler spectroscopy, the energy content by a foil-calorimeter. The construction for each thruster involves: 5 gas valves, a 2-stage Marx capacitor bank, parallel-plate transmission line, and H.V. feedthrough, routinely delivering a 2.5 μs 1/4 period rise time pulse and 1 Ω impedance (35 kV and 37 kA). The performance of the PIPTs are adequate for the RFDX.