Eric J. Pencil and Hani Kamhawi

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

James H. Gilland

Ohio Aerospace Institute, Brook Park, Ohio

Lynn A. Arrington

QSS Group, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Overview of Advanced Electromagnetic

Propulsion Development at NASA Glenn

Research Center

NASA/TM—2005-213888

September 2005

AIAA–2005–4227
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Eric J. Pencil and Hani Kamhawi

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

James H. Gilland

Ohio Aerospace Institute, Brook Park, Ohio

Lynn A. Arrington

QSS Group, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Overview of Advanced Electromagnetic

Propulsion Development at NASA Glenn

Research Center

NASA/TM—2005-213888

September 2005

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Prepared for the

41st Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit

cosponsored by the AIAA, ASME, SAE, and ASEE

Tucson, Arizona, July 10–13, 2005

AIAA–2005–4227
Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude for the support of the Energetics Heritage project managed by

Randall Speth and David Hoffman. The authors would like to express their gratitude for the high dedication and

workmanship of Glenn technicians in supporting this work, especially Dennis Rogers, James Coy, Donna Neville,

and Valarie Roundtree.

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Available electronically at http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov
NASA/TM—2005-213888 1 

Overview of Advanced Electromagnetic Propulsion 

Development at NASA Glenn Research Center 

Eric J. Pencil and Hani Kamhawi 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Glenn Research Center 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

James H. Gilland 

Ohio Aerospace Institute 

Brook Park, Ohio 44142 

Lynn A. Arrington 

QSS Group, Inc. 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Abstract 

NASA Glenn Research Center's Very High Power Electric Propulsion task is sponsored by the Energetics 

Heritage Project. Electric propulsion technologies currently being investigated under this program include pulsed 

electromagnetic plasma thrusters, magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, helicon plasma sources as well as the systems 

models for high power electromagnetic propulsion devices. An investigation and evaluation of pulsed 

electromagnetic plasma thruster performance at energy levels up to 700 Joules is underway. On-going 

magnetoplasmadynamic thruster experiments will investigate applied-field performance characteristics of gas-fed 

MPDs. Plasma characterization of helicon plasma sources will provide additional insights into the operation of this 

novel propulsion concept. Systems models have been developed for high power electromagnetic propulsion 

concepts, such as pulsed inductive thrusters and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters to enable an evaluation of 

mission-optimized designs. 

I. Introduction 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center's Very High Power 

Electric Propulsion task is currently supported by the Energetics Heritage Project. The Energetics Heritage Project 

is formerly an element of the Aerospace Technology Enterprise's (Code R) Mission and Science Measurement 

Technology theme, which was transitioned to the Human & Robotics Technology theme in the Office of Exploration 

prior to being transferred to the Exploration Systems Research & Technology theme in the newly formed 

Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The Energetics Heritage Project addresses technology development 

through an improved understanding of the fundamental physics and the identification and resolution of design 

challenges to advance the technology. Current activities under this task include the development of high 

performance pulsed electromagnetic plasma thrusters, gas-fed magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters, helicon 

plasma sources, and systems models for advanced electromagnetic propulsion thrusters. Given that funding for the 

Energetics Heritage Project ends after Fiscal Year 2005, this paper will provide the status of the activities remaining 

in that effort. 

II. Pulsed Electromagnetic Plasma Thruster Development 

Two longstanding goals in electric propulsion are to reduce total system mass and to increase performance 

capabilities of the system. One approach for achieving either goal is to investigate performance improvements to 

thruster efficiency. Improvements to thrust efficiency can be utilized to reduce total system mass through the 

reduction in propellant mass, assuming the reductions in propellant savings are greater than the system dry mass 

penalties. In power-limited satellites, improvements in thruster efficiency can enhance propulsion capabilities by 

increasing available thrust to either decrease orbit transfer trip times or to improve drag make-up capabilities of a 

satellite (Ref. 1). 
NASA/TM—2005-213888 2 

Figure 1.—Laboratory thruster mounted on PPT thrust stand in VF3 at NASA GRC. 

Improvements to the operational boundaries of the pulsed electromagnetic plasma thruster performance map 

have been investigated through a number of approaches under the Energetics program. Performance evaluation of 

additives to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has shown that small amounts of carbon added to PTFE significantly 

reduced propellant ablation rates, while marginally changing thrust. The improvements over nominal PTFE 

depended on several factors including discharge energy (Ref. 2), electrode geometry (Ref. 3), and propellant 

composition (Ref. 4). In addition increasing discharge energy with any propellant has been shown to improve thrust 

efficiency (Refs. 5 to 8). Recently Kamhawi, et al. (Ref. 9) have investigated thruster operation at higher discharge 

energies with two thruster configurations. The first thruster configuration (Fig. 1) was operated with three capacitor 

arrangements to provide a total discharge capacitance of 100 μF, 180 μF, and 260 μF. This thruster configuration 

was operated over a range of discharge energies from 50 to 700 J with thrust efficiencies ranging from 4 to 

35 percent as shown in Figure 2. The second thruster configuration was operated with a total discharge capacitance 

of 260 μF. This thruster configuration was operated over a range of discharge energies from 300 to 700 J with thrust 

efficiencies ranging from 23 to 37 percent. Discharge current waveforms were collected and compared to 

predictions from a pulse forming network circuit model. Future work will evaluate various electrode and propellant 

configurations (Ref. 10). 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Discharge Energy,J

Thrust Efficiency,%

C = 260 microF

C = 180 microF

C = 100 microF

Figure 2.—Configuration thrust efficiency magnitudes for discharge 

energy levels between 50 and 700 J. 
NASA/TM—2005-213888 3 

III. High Power Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster Development 

High power magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters are being developed as a propulsion system for cargo transport 

and possibly piloted human to Mars bases and the outer planets and robotic deep space exploration missions. 

Electromagnetic thrusters in the laboratory have demonstrated the ability to produce significantly higher thrust 

densities than electrostatic electric propulsion systems. The ability to generate high thrust densities results in 

decreased system complexity through reductions in the number of thrusters required to perform a given mission. 

NASA GRC is developing and testing quasi-steady MW-class thrusters as a prelude to steady-state high power 

thruster tests. Quasi-steady testing will focus on improving performance, specifically thrust efficiency. Previous 

work on the high power pulsed thruster test facility and preliminary performance data for a quasi-steady baseline 

MPD thruster geometry were presented (Ref. 11) and are shown in Figure 3. 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000

J (kA)

0.75 g/s

0.5 g/s

0.25 g/s

Figure 3.—Self-field MPD thruster quasi-steady performance data with argon. 

Future work will focus on applied-field performance characterization of the baseline thruster geometry (Ref. 12) 

as shown in Figure 4 as well as an interrogation of the thruster plasma flowfield with an array of intrusive and nonintrusive diagnostics. The extension of the work to applied-field thrusters requires only minor modifications to the 

thrust stand to eliminate applied-field tare effects. Modifications underway include incorporating features found on 

the NASA GRC pulsed plasma thruster thrust stand such as a magnetic damper and linear variable displacement 

transducer system. The damping system is required to cancel magnet-induced oscillations prior to the discharge. 

The intent of the quasi-steady tests is to improve the understanding of MPD behavior. Insights gained from this 

work are anticipated to be applicable to the MPD thruster field in general, independent of propellant. 

Figure 4.—Baseline applied-field MPD thruster installed on pulsed thrust stand. 
NASA/TM—2005-213888 4 

IV. Helicon Plasma Source Development 

Helicon plasma sources offer several unique features such as high-density plasmas (1019 m–3) at relatively low 

powers (100's of watts) as compared to other electric propulsion thrusters as well as the promise of electrode-less 

electric propulsion. The main benefit of electrode-less electric propulsion is the potential mitigation of electrode 

erosion through the elimination of thruster electrodes from high-energy plasma environment in electric propulsion 

thruster discharge chambers. Low-power, high-density plasma sources offer the potential to decrease thruster size at 

a given power level. However, thruster scale helicon sources represent a departure from the larger laboratory 

devices currently under investigation. 

Potential applications include incorporating helicon plasma sources into the discharge chamber of traditional 

devices such as hall or ion thrusters (Ref. 13), using the helicon waves to heat and accelerate plasmas through a 

proposed double layer effect (Ref. 14), or operating with propellants derived from extraterrestrial resources 

(Refs. 15 and 16). Initial focus was on the investigation of a 13.56 MHz, 300 W helicon plasma source, which has 

demonstrated plasma generation (Fig. 5) but poor coupling. However, related dispersion calculations indicated that 

higher frequencies might allow better coupling (Ref. 17). As a result the experiment has been upgraded to include a 

tunable 10-100 MHz, 300 W microwave power supply and an extended magnetic coil. 

Figure 5.—300 W helicon plasma source operating at 13.5 MHz in vacuum. 

V. Mission and Systems Models for Advanced Electromagnetic Thrusters 

An on-going activity at NASA GRC is the development of thruster models, which can be used to optimize 

thruster designs based on specific exploration mission objectives. These models are designed to be incorporated in 

mission trajectory optimization codes as needed in application to Exploration and Science mission analysis 

(Ref. 18). The performance models are based on input of specific impulse and power, and yield efficiency and 

thruster operating parameters. The concepts of interest include self-field and applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic 

thrusters, pulsed inductive thrusters, and helicon/electron cyclotron resonance thrusters. Self-field and applied-field 

MPD thruster models have been developed for use in mission studies and provide estimates for performance and 

mass (Refs. 18 and 19). An initial physics-based performance model has also been derived for the pulsed inductive 

thruster (Ref. 20) and has been incorporated into a preliminary set of scaling relations (Ref. 21) as shown in 

Figure 6. Similarly, a preliminary zeroth order model for helicon/electron cyclotron resonance thruster concepts has 

been developed (Ref. 15). While the ideal propulsion performance of radiofrequency (rf) concepts has been modeled 

in terms of fundamentals, several unknowns at both the physics and engineering levels remain. For example, the 

physics of plasma expansion and detachment in a magnetic field remain as outstanding questions in terms of 

feasibility and efficiency, which will strongly affect performance. The design, power efficiency, lifetime, and mass 

of 10 to 1000 kW, space rated rf power systems is an engineering unknown with little specific design work to date. 

These fundamental and systems-level issues are still being investigated experimentally and analytically. 
NASA/TM—2005-213888 5 

Figure 6.—PIT scaling relationships for high power applications. 

VI. Conclusion 

Electric propulsion technologies currently being investigated under the Energetics project include pulsed 

electromagnetic plasma thrusters, magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, helicon plasma sources as well as the systems 

models for high power electromagnetic propulsion devices. An investigation and evaluation of pulsed 

electromagnetic plasma thruster performance at energy levels up to 700 Joules is underway and has demonstrated 

efficiencies up to 37 percent. On-going magnetoplasmadynamic thruster experiments will investigate applied-field 

performance characteristics of gas-fed MPDs for comparison to self-field performance data. Plasma 

characterization of helicon plasma sources will provide additional insights into the operation of this novel propulsion 

concept and its effective application in electric propulsion systems. Systems models have been developed for high 

power electromagnetic propulsion concepts, such as pulsed inductive thrusters and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters 

to enable an evaluation of optimized designs for exploration and science mission objectives. 

References 

 1. Pencil, E.J., Kamhawi, H., and Arrington, L.A., "Overview of NASA's Pulsed Plasma Thruster Development Program," 

AIAA–2004–3455, 40th Joint Propulsion Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 2004. 

 2. Pencil, E.J., and Kamhawi, H., "Alternate Fuel Evaluation in a 100 Joule Class Pulsed Plasma Thruster," AIAA–2003–5171, 

39th Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, July 2003. 

 3. Kamhawi, H., Pencil, E.J., and Haag, T.W., "High Thrust-to-Power Parallel-Rail Pulsed Plasma Thruster Design," 

AIAA–2002–3975, 38th Joint Propulsion Conference, Indianapolis, IN, July 2002. 

 4. Pencil, E.J., Kamhawi, H., Arrington, L.A., and Warren, W.B., "Evaluation of Alternate Propellants for Pulsed Plasma 

Thrusters," IEPC–01–047, Proceedings of the 27th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Pasadena, CA, October 

2001. 

 5. Palumbo, D.J., and Guman, W.J., “Effects of Propellant and Electrode Geometry on Pulsed ablative Plasma Thruster 

Performance,” J. Spacecraft, Vol. 13, No. 3, March 1976, pp. 163–167. 

 6. Popov, G., et al., “Experimental Study of Plasma Parameters in High Efficiency Pulsed Plasma Thrusters,” IEPC–01–163, 

Proceedings of the 27th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Pasadena, CA, October 2001. 

 7. Kazeev, M.N., et al., “Dynamics and Distribution of Electron Density in the Channel of Pulsed Plasma Thruster,” 

AIAA–2002–4119, July 2002. 

 8. Antropov, N., et al., “Development and Refinement of Highly Efficient 150 J APPT,” IEPC 03-061, Proceedings of the 28th 

International Electric Propulsion Conference, Toulouse, France, March 2003. 

 9. Kamhawi, H., Arrington, L.A., Pencil, E.J., and Haag, T.W.," Performance Evaluation of a High Energy Pulsed Plasma 

Thruster," AIAA–2005–3695, 41st Joint Propulsion Conference, Tucson, AZ, July 2005. 

10. Kamhawi, H., Arrington, L.A., Pencil, E.J., and Haag, T.W., "Extended Performance Evaluations of a High Energy Pulsed 

Plasma Thruster," to be published at the 29th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Princeton, NJ, October 2005. 

11. LaPointe, M.R., Strzempkowski, E., Pencil, E.J., "High Power MPD Thruster Performance Measurements," AIAA–2004–

3467, 40th Joint Propulsion Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 2004. 

12. Pencil, E.J., Gilland, J.H., Foster, J.E., "Inert Propellant MPD Thruster Performance Measurements," to be presented at the

29th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Princeton, NJ, October 2005. 

13. Gilland, J.H. and Hershkowitz, N., “Application of a Helicon Discharge to Electric Propulsion,” AIAA Paper No. 98–3934, 

1998. 
NASA/TM—2005-213888 6 

14. Charles, C., and Boswell, R., “Current-free double-layer formation in a high-density helicon discharge,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 82

(9) 2003. 

15. Gilland, J. “Helicon Wave Physics Impacts on Electrodeless Thruster Design,” IEPC Paper No. 150, Proceedings of the 28th 

International Electric Propulsion Conference, Toulouse, France, March 2003. 

16. Gilland, J. “Mission Impacts of In-Situ Propellant Usage for Electric Propulsion Vehicles,” AIAA–2005–4267, 41st Joint 

Propulsion Conference, Tucson, AZ, July 2005. 

17. Gilland, J. and Piefer, G., “Small Helicon Plasma Source Experiments,” AIAA–2004–3939, Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 2004. 

18. McGuire, M.L.; Borowski, S.K.; Mason, L.M.; and Gilland, J.G., “High Power MPD Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) for 

Artificial Gravity HOPE Missions to Callisto,” NASA/TM—2003-212349; E-13937, December 2003. 

19. Gilland, J. and Johnston, G., “MPD Thruster Performance Analytic Models,” presented at 2003 STAIF Conferences, 

Albuquerque, NM, Feb. 2003. 

20. Mikellides, P., "Pulsed Inductive Thruster (PIT): Modeling and Validation Using the MACH2 Code," NASA/CR—2003-

212714, December 2003. 

21. Gilland, J.E., “Systems Modeling of Electromagnetic Thruster Options,” AIAA–2005–4269, 41st Joint Propulsion 

Conference, Tucson, AZ, July 2005. 
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12

Overview of Advanced Electromagnetic Propulsion Development at

NASA Glenn Research Center

Eric J. Pencil, Hani Kamhawi, James H. Gilland, and Lynn A. Arrington

Electric propulsion; Magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters; Pulsed plasma thrusters; Helicon

thrusters

Unclassified -Unlimited

Subject Category: 20

Prepared for the 41st Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit cosponsored by the AIAA, ASME, SAE, and ASEE,

Tucson, Arizona, July 10–13, 2005. Eric J. Pencil and Hani Kamhawi, NASA Glenn Research Center; James H. Gilland,

Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road, Brook Park, Ohio 44142; and Lynn A. Arrington, QSS Group, Inc.,

21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135. Responsible person, Eric J. Pencil, organization code RPP, 216–977–7463.

NASA Glenn Research Center’s Very High Power Electric Propulsion task is sponsored by the Energetics Heritage

Project. Electric propulsion technologies currently being investigated under this program include pulsed electromagnetic

plasma thrusters, magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, helicon plasma sources as well as the systems models for high

power electromagnetic propulsion devices. An investigation and evaluation of pulsed electromagnetic plasma thruster

performance at energy levels up to 700 Joules is underway. On-going magnetoplasmadynamic thruster experiments will

investigate applied-field performance characteristics of gas-fed MPDs. Plasma characterization of helicon plasma sources

will provide additional insights into the operation of this novel propulsion concept. Systems models have been developed

for high power electromagnetic propulsion concepts, such as pulsed inductive thrusters and magnetoplasmadynamic

thrusters to enable an evaluation of mission-optimized designs.