Micronewton electromagnetic thruster
Abstract
A low cost and light electromagnetic thruster, consisting in a disc rigidly attached with a coaxial coil, shows steady recoil by losing its linear momentum. The signal applied in the device is a square electric potential. A continuous thrust is observed on the center-of-mass in one single direction under electromagnetic excitation for various voltages and nominal high frequencies. At 1 kHz with 20 V amplitude, the recoil force reaches 4 μN (micronewton). The recoil is numerically quantified with induced electromotive and Lorentz forces. The presented device directly converts electric energy into kinetic energy.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- July 2012
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2012ApPhL.101c4104C
- Keywords:
-
- coils;
- electric potential;
- electromagnetic devices;
- 85.80.-b;
- 41.20.Cv;
- 84.32.Hh;
- Thermoelectromagnetic and other devices;
- Electrostatics;
- Poisson and Laplace equations boundary-value problems;
- Inductors and coils;
- wiring