Speaker
Description
Various space-technology-related applications significantly benefit from the extended availability and capabilities of High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) systems. This aspect accompanied by initial networking as well as research and development projects such as the Magnetohydrodynamic Enhanced Entry System for Space Transportation (MEESST) activity leads to the qualification of critical subsystems such as HTS coils under simulated harsh environmental conditions encountered during atmospheric entry and by electric propulsion systems in operation.
The international consortium of the European Union project MEESST is currently preparing a plasma probe equipped with a HTS coil for the deflection of ionized entry flows to investigate heat flux mitigation and communication blackout mitigation. The consortium consists of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU) and the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) in Belgium, the University of Luxembourg (UL) in Luxembourg, the University of Southampton (US) in the United Kingdom, the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Theva Dünnschichttechnik GmbH, and Neutron Star System UG (NSS) in Germany, Absolut System (AS) in France, and Advanced Engineering Design Solutions Ltd. (AEDS) in Switzerland. Over a duration of 42 months, the project encompasses the experimental design and implementation, as well as an extension of computational modelling capabilities for characterizing plasma flows in presence of applied magnetic fields and accounting for radiation. The consortium’s expertise, close collaboration between team members, and the mutual verification level of the experimental and computational tools deployed build a unique constellation with the potential to significantly expand the understanding of weakly ionized plasmas exposed to applied magnetic fields in various space technology applications.
The contribution will summarize the activities so far and in addition, it will highlight potential applications such as those mentioned for MEESST. Furthermore, it will cover other potential applications such as applied-field MPD thrusters, advanced MHD-based electric space propulsion, and radiation mitigation.
