Precision electromagnetic calibration technique for micro-Newton thrust stands

This paper introduces a new direct non-contact electromagnetic calibration technique for high precision measurements of micro-thrust and impulse. A ring-shaped electromagnet with an air gap is used in the calibration. The calibration force is produced by the interaction of a uniform magnetic field with a copper wire current in the air gap. This force depends linearly on this current as well as the steady angular displacement of the torsion arm of the thrust stand. The range of calibration force is very large and the calibration force is easy to generate and insensitive to the arm displacement. The calibration uncertainty for a 150-mu N force is 4.17 mu N. The more influential factor on the calibration uncertainty is the magnetization of the electromagnet core due to the copper wire current. In the impulse calibration, the exerted impulse is linearly dependent on the maximal angular displacement of the torsion arm. The uncertainty in the impulse calibration is determined by uncertainties in both the force calibration and the pulse time. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.