Super-powerful new ion engine revealed

New Scientist Space ^ | 01/18/06 | Emma Young

[KevinDavis]

Neat...

[KevinDavis]

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I watched a show about ion engines last night on the Science channel. It worked.

[BobDobbs9911]

This news is just charging me up to go and put my finger in a light socket so I can feel the ions propel me to the ceiling!

(lighten up! I'm just joking)

Bob

[Hodar]

I haven't heard that explaination before.

The ion engines I worked on used a strong magnetic field to 'excite' the atoms in the rocket's exhaust. A band of magnet flux was created in the nozzle area. The magnetic flux 'excited' the atom's electrons, causing the electron to jump to the next higher orbital shell; thus making the atoms 'Fatter'. Thus, 'Bigger' atoms were packed tightly against each other created more thrust, while maintaining the same mass.

As the atoms left the influence of the magnetic field, the 'excited' electrons dropped back to their 'normal' orbital shell, and a photon was released; thus the blue light that ion engines create.

[KevinDavis]

A lot better than chemical rockets...

[wyattearp]

Can I get on your Space Ping list? I keep missing the good stuff...

[Dawggie]

Much lower thrust than chemical, but runs much longer.

[GSlob]

And what do they do with the compensating negative charges? Positive ions are expelled out, but they cannot keep accumulating the electrons in the craft.

[Brett66]

Doing a google search on "Dual-stage Gridded Ion Thruster" revealed the specific performance of these engines. In this article, Advanced Dual-stage Gridded Ion Thruster, they state that a 250kW engine could produce 2.5 Newtons of thrust with a specific impulse of 19,300. Very impressive.

[KevinDavis]

You are asking the wrong person. I'm not a rocket science nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express

[RightWhale]

The ions are neutralized after acceleration, or both charges are expelled the same direction.

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According to the scientist, the ion drive goes progressively faster.

[Hodar]

A lot better than chemical rockets...

Chemical rockets can be ion rockets as well. You just have to IONIZE the exhaust. Hydrazine is an example.

You take the exhaust, exite the atoms in the exhaust (thus making ions), the ions have electrons move to a higher orbital level. Now your exhaust pressure goes up, thus increasing the thrust, with the same burn rate, and the same fuel mass.

As the exhaust leaves the magnetic field, the excited electons drop back into their normal orbital shell, releasing a photon (conservation of energy and all that); creating a pretty blue hue. Simple, huh?

[KevinDavis]

Ok...

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Some FAQ about ion drives...HERE

[KevinDavis]

Sounds simple...

[BobDobbs9911]

How many more seconds of impulse could you generate doing that?

[RayChuang88]

I think what makes ion engines so attractive is that when coupled with a small pebble-bed nuclear reactor, a space vehicle could get a constant low thrust for weeks at a time, which could result in tremendous velocities for the spacecraft. This may make it possible to cut the transit time between Earth and Mars from nine months to six weeks! With only six weeks of transit time, a manned spacecraft flying to Mars could actually be smaller, since we don't need to waste so much space for consumables such as oxygen and water.

[AmericanDave]

Does it clean the air too?