Numerical modeling of a hydrazine-fueled arcjet thruster

Abstract

The computational fluid dynamic analysis has been conducted for the thermo-chemical flow field in an arcjet thruster with mono-propellant Hydrazine (N2H4) as a working fluid. The Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are modified to analyze compressible flows with the thermal radiation and electric field. The Maxwell equation, which is loosely coupled with the fluid dynamic equations through the Ohm heating and Lorentz forces, is adopted to analyze the electric field induced by the electric arc. The chemical reactions of Hydrazine were assumed to be infinitely fast due to the high temperature field inside the arcjet thruster. The chemical and the thermal radiation models for the nitrogen-hydrogen mixture and optically thick media respectively, were incorporated with the fluid dynamic equations. The results show that performance indices of the arcjet thruster with 1kW arc heating are improved by amount of 180% in thrust and 200% in specific impulse more than frozen flow. In addition to thermo-physical process inside the arcjet thruster is understood from the flow field results.