Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster

Problem

The Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) Thruster project involved the design, analysis, and testing of an electric propulsion system using the principles of Electromagnetism, particularly the Lorentz force, to generate thrust.

FIG. 1 — MPD THRUSTER PROTOTYPE

Approach

A discharge is struck between a central cathode and a surrounding anode. The current through the plasma crosses its own self-induced magnetic field, and the resulting Lorentz force accelerates the propellant out of the channel.

LORENTZ FORCE · SELF-FIELD ACCELERATIONEQ. 1

F = j × B

j is the current density through the plasma and B the self-induced azimuthal magnetic field. Thrust scales with the square of the discharge current, which is why the high-current circuit is the whole design problem.

My Contribution

SOLE BUILDER

Unassigned personal work — I designed the geometry in SOLIDWORKS, built the high-current circuit, soldered the assembly, and ran the tests. The project was filmed and uploaded to YouTube.

Result

Although we were not able to measure thrust due to equipment limitations, the project provided valuable insights into high-current circuit design, plasma generation, and, of course, electric propulsion.

Code

No code — this one was entirely hardware. The build is documented end to end in the video above.

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