Numerical simulation of a hydrogen arcjet

The two-dimensional, axisymmetric, nonequilibrium ionizing and reacting flow in a hydrogen arcjet thruster is simulated numerically using the linearized block implicit method. A single ionic species (H+), single temperature (i.e., equal electron and heavy particle temperatures), and variable properties are used in this formulation to solve the governing equations of mass, species, momentum, and energy, The current distribution is obtained by solving the magnetic diffusion equation at each time step of the time-marching scheme, As an illustration, a hydrogen arcjet having an exit-to-throat area ratio of 25 (nominal 30-kW geometry) is studied, It is found that the species in order of their abundance at the centerline of the exit plane of the thruster consist of atomic hydrogen (H), ions (H+), and electrons (e(-)), and molecular hydrogen (H-2), respectively, As expected, near the colder walls of the anode at the exit plane, this abundance shifts in favor of molecular hydrogen, atomic hydrogen, H+, and electrons, respectively.