SBIR/STTR Research Award
A Mass-Reducing End-Plugging Scheme for the Gasdynamic Mirror Propulsion System
Award amount
$100,000Program and phase
STTR · Phase IAward year
2001Award details
- Awarding agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Branch
- Not reported
- Recipient company
- Advent Engineering Services, Inc.
- Proposal award date
- Not reported
- Contract end date
- Not reported
- UEI
- Not reported
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- Not reported
Research abstract
A very promising approach to a significant reduction of the mass of the gasdynamic mirror (GDM) fusion propulsion system is proposed. It makes use of field-reversal techniques whereby a rotating magnetic field is employed to induce an azimuthal current in the plasma, which in turn gives rise to the desired magnetic field at an appropriate plasma radius in the mirror region. This has the effect of preserving the needed larger plasma mirror ratio without the use of large mirror magnets. This proposal is aimed at an investigation of this approach and how it might apply to the GDM propulsion system. The results generated will constitute the basis of a Phase II proposal aimed at applying this technique to the GDM experiment at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). ~000107 ~
Technology keywords
Not reported