Project Description
Electric propulsion is often applied in satellite navigation and space exploration and involves the acceleration of ions using electric fields. Students will have the opportunity to continue the design, fabrication, and characterization of an existing ion thruster. Students will learn about an ion thruster, design physical components, make measurements, and investigate the thrust developed. Students will also engage with a convective fluid mechanics experiment in which the buoyant plume above a heated cylinder will be investigated. Students will learn how to apply particle image velocimetry, a laser-based velocity measurement technique, to observe the starting transients in the buoyant plume. The goal is to identify flow characteristics that eventually lead to a previously discovered periodic swaying motion.
Prerequisites
PHYS 112 or equivalent
Special Comments
Project Information (subject to change)
Estimated Start Date: 6/08/2026
Estimated End Date: 7/31/2026
Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks
Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3
Research Location: On campus
Travel Required? No (If “yes”: )
Contact Information: Joel Kuehner (email: kuehnerj@wlu.edu)