Performance of a Pulsed Plasma Thruster Using Dimethyl Ether Propellant

Abstract

The current paper describes experimental results for a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) using dimethyl ether (DME) as a propellant. DME is an ether compound, which is neither toxic nor reactive and is stored in the liquid form in tanks because of 6 atm vapor pressure. A coaxial type DME-PPT was designed to evaluate the performance. Main discharges were successfully initiated by an igniter or spontaneous discharge induced by DME injection. The igniter was used in the case that propellant mass was so low that the spontaneous discharge was not initiated by DME feeding. Thrust measurement using a thrust target yielded a specific impulse of 1200 s for an igniter type DME-PPT with 1.5 µg mass shot and 5 J capacitor stored energy, and 620 s for spontaneous discharge type with 8.8 µgand 13 J.