Marshall Technical Reports Server

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Barrel-Shaped Asymmetrical Capacitor

NASA/TM-2004-213283, Campbell, J.W. and Carruth, M.R. and Edwards, D.L. and Finchum, A. and Maxwell, G. and Nabors, S. and Smalley, L. and Huston, D. and Ila, D. and Zimmerman, R. and Muntele, C. and Muntele, I., NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Barrel-Shaped Asymmetrical Capacitor, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center , Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC 20546-0001, June 2004, pp. 64, Format(s): PDF 2924k

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The NASA Barrel-Shaped Asymmetrical Capacitor (NACAP) has been extensively tested at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the National Space Science and Technology Center. Trichel pulse emission was first discovered here. The NACAP is a magnetohydrodynamic device for electric propulsion. In air it requires no onboard propellant nor any moving parts. No performance was observed in hard vacuum. The next step shall be optimizing the technology for future applications.
Keywords:asymmetrical capacitor, electric propulsion, magnetohydrodynamics, ion acceleration, ion wind
Subjects:Aeronautics: Aeronautics General
ID Code:678
Deposited On:17 November 2004