Engineering Commons^™

Design Of A Thrust Stand For Electric Propulsion, Hannah Watts

Honors Theses

Thrust stands are the industry standard device for measuring the low levels of thrust generated by electric propulsion devices. Western Michigan University’s Aerospace Laboratory for Plasma Experiments is home to several electric propulsion devices and is in the process of obtaining a pulsed plasma thruster in partnership with the Western Aerospace Launch Initiative. The lab currently has no way of measuring the true thrust force generated by these devices. A thrust stand has been designed specific to the micro-Newton thrust range and the constraints inherent to the facilities in which it will operate.