MagBeam:

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MagBeam
R. Winglee, T. Ziemba, J. Prager, B. Roberson
J. Carscadden

• Coherent Beaming of Plasma

• Separation of Power/Fuel from Payload

• Fast, cost-efficient propulsion for multiple
  missions

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Plasma Propulsion
Major Savings in Mass through higher energy/speed
plasma systems
Deep Space 1
Inherently low thrust systems very low
acceleration
Solar electric 1 10-4 m/s/s
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Plasma Propulsion
Major Savings in Mass through higher energy/speed
plasma systems
VASIMR
Inherently low thrust systems very low
acceleration
Solar electric 1 10-4 m/s/s
Nuclear electric 1 10-3 m/s/s
Long duration and/or costly dedicated power units
for single missions
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Beam Propagation
Beam Expansion will reduce the efficiency of any
beamed energy system
Nature regularly propagates plasma beams over
10s km to 10s of Earth radii
Able to do so by using collective behavior of
plasmas
MagBeam uses these same collective processes to
minimize beam dispersion
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Importance of MagBeam
Benefit 1
By studying focusing techniques obtain Higher
Efficiency Plasma Thrusters
Divergent Plasma Stream
Can yield increases by factors of 50 performance
Highly Focused Plasma Beam
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Importance of MagBeam
Benefit 2
Compact electrodeless thrusters Able to take high
power operation without degradation Means
consider orbital transfers for large systems like
Space Station
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Importance of MagBeam
Benefit 3

• Modify spacecraft orbits (raise or lower)

• Planetary/lunar transfer orbital for multiple
  payloads

• Reduced cost due to reusable nature of system

Full up system would facilitate human exploration
to the Moon, Mars and Beyond
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Plasma Plume
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Confined Plasma Plume
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Implementation of Magnetic Nozzle System
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Plasma Diagnostics
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UW 6ft long x 5ft diameter Vacuum Chamber
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Simulations
Magnets 30 cm 5cm resolution
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Simulations
Magnets 30 cm 5cm resolution
Evolution of Magnetic Field
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Simulations
Magnets 30 cm 5cm resolution
Evolution of Magnetic Field
Log Plasma Energy Density
Density 2 1013 cm-3
Bulk Speed 30 km/s
Thermal Speed 30 km/s
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Simulations
Magnets 30 cm 5cm resolution
Evolution of Magnetic Field
Multi-Fluid Equations
Log Plasma Energy Density
Density 2 1013 cm-3
Bulk Speed 30 km/s
Thermal Speed 30 km/s
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No Nozzle Configuration
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High Power Helicon No Magnetic Nozzle
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Improved Performance with Magnetic Nozzle
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With magnetic Nozzle
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High Power Helicon With Magnetic Nozzle
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Far Field View of Beamed Plasma
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MagBeam Hitting the Target
MagBeam Interaction
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MagBeam Middle of Chamber
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MagBeam End of Chamber
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MagBeam Hitting the Target
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Power System Requirements

• Fast Discharge Rates (associated with LEO and
  Geo)

• Charging - Solar Electric

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Bootstrapping into Space
Suborbital LEO Space Station
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Bootstrapping into Space
800 kg of propellant
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Suborbital to LEO ?V 3 km/s
to Geo. Transfer ?V 1.5 km/s
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To Escape Velocity ?V 3 km/s
10,000 kg payload
Fire Again
30 min interaction time
200,000 kg batteries
2000 kg of propellant
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Fast Trip to Mars ?V 20 km/s
Longer Acceleration Period Need to Start with
Space Station at higher Altitude
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Fast Trip to Mars ?V 20 km/s
Rendezvous using geosynchronous-like transfer
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Fast Trip to Mars ?V 20 km/s
10,000 kg payload
4 hr interaction time
3 106 kg batteries
or 1.5 106 kg advanced nuclear electric
300 MW thruster, Isp 4000s
7,000 kg of propellant
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Mars Station Provides Braking ?V 25 km/s

• ?V 7 km/s right at surface

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Total Trip Time 0 Day - Start
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Total Trip Time 50 Day - Arrive at Mars
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Total Trip Time 61 Day - Leave Mars
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Total Trip Time 96 Day - Arrive Eath
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MagBeam
Model/lab results demonstrating performance
Beamed Plasma System ? Fast Missions
Reusable system eliminates large power units
for each new mission ? cost effective solution
for multiple missions
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Roadmap
Phase II

• Demonstrate beam coherence in expanded UW
  chamber (to 9 ft)

• Comparative model/lab studies in larger
  chambers (help from NASA centers to perform
  studies to 30 ft)

• Demonstrate performance of higher power
  thrusters and develop scaling laws for large
  systems

Further work demonstrate km range
using sounding rocket experiment -
orbital demonstration
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Still Finds the Target Even if Deflector
Misaligned
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Differential motion between the ions and
electrons are generated currents and electric
fields such that the magnetic field in which the
plasma is born stays with the plasma.
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Magnetic Field is essentially the transmission
wire of space for plasma and power