简介：Amodellingstudyisperformedtocomparetheplasmaflowandheattransfercharacteristicsoflow-powerarc-heatedthrusters(arcjets)forthreedifferentpropellants:hydrogen,nitrogenandargon.Theall-speedSIMPLEalgorithmisemployedtosolvethegoverningequations,whichtakeintoaccounttheeffectsofcompressibility,LorentzforceandJouleheating,aswellasthetemperature-andpressure-dependenceofthegasproperties.Thetemperature,velocityandMachnumberdistributionscalculatedwithinthethrusternozzleobtainedwithdifferentpropellantgasesarecomparedforthesamethrusterstructure,dimensions,inlet-gasstagnantpressureandarccurrents.Thetemperaturedistributionsinthesolidregionoftheanode-nozzlewallarealsogiven.Itisfoundthattheflowandenergyconversionprocessesinthethrusternozzleshowmanysimilarfeaturesforallthreepropellants.Forexample,thepropellantisheatedmainlyinthenear-cathodeandconstrictorregion,withthehighestplasmatemperatureappearingnearthecathodetip;theflowtransitionfromthesubsonictosupersonicregimeoccurswithintheconstrictorregion;thehighestaxialvelocityappearsinsidethenozzle;andmostoftheinputpropellantflowstowardsthethrusterexitthroughthecoolergasregionneartheanode-nozzlewall.However,sincethepropertiesofhydrogen,nitrogenandargon,especiallytheirmolecularweights,specificenthalpiesandthermalconductivities,aredifferent,thereareappreciabledifferencesinarcjetperformance.Forexample,comparedtotheothertwopropellants,thehydrogenarcjetthrustershowsahigherplasmatemperatureinthearcregion,andhigheraxialvelocitybutlowertemperatureatthethrusterexit.Correspondingly,thehydrogenarcjetthrusterhasthehighestspecificimpulseandarcvoltageforthesameinletstagnantpressureandarccurrent.Thepredictionsofthemodellingarecomparedfavourablywithavailableexperimentalresults.