Propellant-Less Thrust Generation - A Review

This paper introduces a concept of propellant-less microwave thruster for upper stage and space applications. The propellant-less microwave thruster works on classical electromagnetic theory, where the microwave radiations are converted to the electromagnetic pressure that acts as axial thrust. In microwave thrusters, microwaves are radiated to a sealed conical cavity which follows the contour of the thrusters to produce pressure. Normally, there are three types of methods by which thrust can be produced without utilizing any propellant. Cannae Drive, EmDrive, and the Wrap Drive are mostly used. The first two are based on the principle of microwave radiation, whereas the third method is just a concept in various science fiction films. The EmDrive can produce a small amount of thrust, therefore, its application is limited to upper stage thruster, orbit/trajectory correction, and deep-space exploration. This paper provides an insight on the feasibility of EmDrive for space application by comparing its performance with ion propulsion system. The proposed microwave propulsion system has low system mass (typically in Kgs), produces high thrust (in mN) and even has higher specific impulse (in years) which can outweigh the current ion propulsion system.