Scientists at the University of Michigan have proposed a new type of Hall engine that is powered by krypton and produces much more thrust than existing engines with much higher power. This was reported in a press release on Phys.org.

The operation of the Hall electric motor is based on the effect that occurs when a magnetic field affects charged particles that act as xenon gas ions. The latter deviate from their trajectory causing another current perpendicular to the cardinal direction. This creates additional thrust and allows you to achieve a high flow rate of the working medium, i.e. ionized gas.

Previously, researchers assumed that only a certain amount of current could flow through a motor field unit, which affects thrust. In the new study, the scientists were able to increase the amount of force produced per unit area almost tenfold. The modified H9 engine, named MUSCLE, is accelerated to 37.5 kilowatts with an overall efficiency of about 49 percent, which is not far from the 62 percent efficiency at nine kilowatts of design power.

When switching from argon to krypton, engine power increased to 45 kilowatts. At 51 percent efficiency, a maximum thrust of 1.8 newtons was achieved, paired with the much more powerful 100 kilowatt Hall X3 engine. But use on interplanetary manned missions will require a good cooling system.