An Experimental Study on Energy Conversion Process of an in‐Space CW Laser Thruster

CW laser propulsion has been investigated to develop a prospective propulsion system that may be used in space. OTV (Orbit Transfer Vehicle) is placed as one of the most effective applications of the propulsion system. In this study, the energy partitioning of incident laser energy was investigated over the wide range of velocity of the flow field in low pressure. Flow velocity is thought to have significant effects on energy conversion process because the distribution of temperature and the position of a laser sustained plasma in the focusing laser beam should be determined so that flow velocity and propagation velocity of optical discharge balance out. It was found that the higher energy conversion efficiency can be achieved by lowering the pressure and increasing the velocity of the flow field.