Feasibility and Performance of the Microwave Thermal Rocket Launcher
Feasibility and Performance of the Microwave Thermal Rocket Launcher
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微波热火箭发射器的可行性及性能
DOI：
10.1063/1.1721019
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发表时间：
2004
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
F. Culick
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
K. Parkin;F. Culick
使用微波热推进器的光束能量发射概念原则上是可行的，并且具有足够功率将吨发射到近地轨道的微波源已经存在。微波热推进器的工作原理与核热推进器类似，实验证明比冲量超过 850 秒。假设具有这样的性能，火箭方程的简单应用表明，单级入轨 (SSTO) 微波热火箭的有效载荷比例可能达到 10%。我们提出了采用按比例缩放的 X-33 航空壳的 SSTO 概念。扁平的航空外壳下侧覆盖有薄层微波吸收热交换器，该热交换器构成推进器的一部分。在上升过程中，热交换器面向微波束。结合 X-33 空气动力学数据的简单上升轨迹分析预测，此类 1 吨飞行器的有效载荷比例为 10%。相比之下，土星五号有 3 个不可重复使用的级，有效载荷比例为 4%。
Beamed‐energy launch concepts employing a microwave thermal thruster are feasible in principle, and microwave sources of sufficient power to launch tons into LEO already exist. Microwave thermal thrusters operate on an analogous principle to nuclear thermal thrusters, which have experimentally demonstrated specific impulses exceeding 850 seconds. Assuming such performance, simple application of the rocket equation suggests that payload fractions of 10% are possible for a single stage to orbit (SSTO) microwave thermal rocket. We present an SSTO concept employing a scaled X‐33 aeroshell. The flat aeroshell underside is covered by a thin‐layer microwave absorbent heat‐exchanger that forms part of the thruster. During ascent, the heat‐exchanger faces the microwave beam. A simple ascent trajectory analysis incorporating X‐33 aerodynamic data predicts a 10% payload fraction for a 1 ton craft of this type. In contrast, the Saturn V had 3 non‐reusable stages and achieved a payload fraction of 4%.