ELF thruster

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Has anyone heard any news about this recently?  It's dropped off my radar for what seems like a few years(still in early R&D, I'm sure; but any new info would be great).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289398148_Pulsed_Plasmoid_Propulsion_The_ELF_Thruster

https://www.aa.washington.edu/research/plasmaDynamics/research/elf

http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/strg/sekerak.html

Quote

High-power electric propulsion (EP) systems are an innovative space technology that have the potential to significantly expand NASA's capability for robotic and human exploration of the solar system. Their highly efficient use of propellant mass (high specific impulse) greatly reduces the total mass of propellant required to complete a given mission. Common EP systems such as Hall thrusters and ion engines produce low thrust resulting in impractically long trip times for human missions. To enable ambitious planetary exploration missions high specific impulse and high-thrust systems are needed; for example clustered Hall thrusters, concentric nested Hall thrusters or the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). A new propulsion system has been proposed using a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC) plasma source called the Electrodeless Lorentz Force (ELF) thruster. Preliminary studies have shown that the ELF has excellent specific impulse and thrust throttling similar to other high-power EP systems with the advantages of higher thrust density, higher efficiency and a smaller footprint. An FRC plasma source produces high-density, magnetized plasmoids (self-contained bodies of plasma) that are disconnected from externally applied magnetic fields. FRC plasma sources are inherently pulsed devices where the plasmoid evolves in three steps 1) Neutral gas injection and ionization 2) Plasmoid growth and acceleration and 3) Plasmoid ejection. The ELF thruster is a unique FRC plasma source that uses a Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) to drive the azimuthal current creating the reversed magnetic field. FRC plasma sources were originally developed for nuclear fusion applications and required significant user intervention during operation.

 

[pincushionman]

The killer in any electric propulsion system is always the power production.

[Bill Phil]

The holy grail in propulsion tech is a high power density device. The thruster isn't nevessarily the issue. It's how much power can we throw at it with reasonable technology.

[Hary R]

For the OP' question, I'm following it since i've heard of it but no, nothing new since 2009 and a publication form msnw. Last thing I've heard is that the ELF is capable of efficiently use complex propellant such as water,  Hydrazine, gaz from the atmosphere...

Edited June 9, 2016 by Hary R

[SuperFastJellyfish]

17 hours ago, Hary R said:

For the OP' question, I'm following it since i've heard of it but no, nothing new since 2009 and a publication form msnw. Last thing I've heard is that the ELF is capable of efficiently use complex propellant such as water,  Hydrazine, gaz from the atmosphere...

Thanks for the info. 

[PB666]

1 hour ago, SuperFastJellyfish said:

Thanks for the info. 

The more you do the lower the efficiency. The modern age variant is VASIMR, like they say its power production. 

Lighter, higher efficiency ion drives exist that have up to 20000 ISP. The isp is not limited, the problem is that as mass efficiency goes up, thrust goes down. The area density of drives are limited to about 100 kw per meter. So that as you go up in ISP you produce less thrust per kw and per area.,

Edited June 10, 2016 by PB666