Magnetic assisted rocket engine

[EL_bob]

Hello everybody!

I have been thinking about something for a while now. I would like to make a magnetic nozzle for a rocket engine. Basically, I would like to ionize the hot and high pressure gaz in the combustion chamber and then use a strong magnetic field to adjust the nozzle throat dynamically.

The problem is how do I ionize the high pressure gaz..
To do so, I plan to use a RF source with Helicon antenna. With low pressure it is pretty straightforward and low frequency, but I figured by reading in the literature that for higher pressure the frequency would need to be much higher like 2.45Ghz

Can someone give me some enlightenments on the physics of high pressure ionization?

If it is not possible, I would try to ionize the gas in a physical nozzle as the pressure is very low, following venturi's law

Thank you

 

[anorlunda]

Based on your post, it sounds like plasma is relevant. Are you familiar with plasma and methods of making plasma?

If not, this article may help get you started. Then, the references linked at the bottom of the article give more details.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

 

[EL_bob]

Yup, I want to make a high pressure plasma! I know well how to make plasma at low pressure, but at high pressure the ionization process seems very different and very low littérature is disponible...

 

[CWatters]

Not my field but have you looked at high power ion thrusters...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Power_Electric_Propulsion

 

[Nidum]

Google 'magnetoplasmadynamic thruster'

 

[EL_bob]

Both techniques are made to work under vacuum with low density gases which is not my case.. Very interesting tho!

 

[anorlunda]

A rocket's exhaust is very hot. Have you checked how ionized those exhaust gasses are already?

 

[EL_bob]

The gas is around 3000K in the combustion chamber and cool down as it expend at the exhaust of the nozzle. I believe it is slightly ionize but not enough to do anything.

 

[CWatters]

Article in New Scientist might be of interest...

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...that-could-take-you-from-the-ground-to-space/