Lead: Steve Best

Purpose and Goals: Create improved pulsed power driver technology for a long- life, high efficiency electric thruster system for space use. PIT systems don’t require electrodes which are prone to erosion in other electromagnetic propulsion systems. Tests will confirm thrust, Isp and efficiency. Elements of the technology that are being demonstrated include the Vector Inversion Generator (VIG) and the Dual Resonant Pulse Transformer (DRPT). Both have been shown to work as designed. Next steps include developing the magnetic switch technology and doing subscale testing.

Description: Expected Isp of >6000 s, efficiency of 75% and power requirements as low as 10 kW. Thrust depends on size and repetition rate of the Pulsed Inductive Thruster (PIT) and will be in the range of 1 to 20 N. Pulse repetition rates of a VIG of 10 Hz have been demonstrated for more than a day. More testing at longer times and higher rates is beginning System will be scalable from kW to MW and have a specific mass < 5 kg/ kW. Testing of the DRPT has yielded efficiencies in excess of 98%.
 

Major industrial partners: Radiance Technologies Inc.

Other partners: US Army