Numerical calculation on low power arcjet thrusters

In order to realize the work process on arcjet thrusters in detail and study their operating performance, a fluid dynamics model was developed and the work channels of thruster were numerically simulated and analyzed. Through using the operating parameters of experimental thrusters, the non-oscillatory and non-free-parameters Dissipative (NND) explicit scheme was used to solve the N-S equation with coupling electromagnetic sources by the time dependent method, and the Gauss-Seidel iteration and successive overrelaxation (SOR) technique was used to solve the elliptic electric potential equation. Flow fields and electromagnetic fields of work channels were obtained. Test data were compared with numerical results. The results showed that there was a high thruster performance when the propellant mass flow changed. The calculated results are in good agreement with the test results.