SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROPULSION OF AN OBJECT IN A VACUUM

    公开(公告)号:US20240309858A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-09-19

    申请号:US18585369

    申请日:2024-02-23

    发明人: Jonathan Huffman

    IPC分类号: B64G1/40 F03H1/00

    摘要: A propulsion device for vehicles, such as a spacecraft operating within a vacuum configured to ionize a fuel gas. Specifically, a soft ionization system pulls electrons from passing gas molecules directly into conductors and introduces ionized gas molecules into a static accelerating field. The ionized gas is utilized at a point of creation such that a chamber, housing, or channel to contain the ionized gas is not required.

    DUAL-MODE ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR SMALL SPACECRAFT AND CUBESATS

    公开(公告)号:US20240228066A9

    公开(公告)日:2024-07-11

    申请号:US18491511

    申请日:2023-10-20

    IPC分类号: B64G1/40

    CPC分类号: B64G1/413 B64G1/4026

    摘要: A dual mode engine for propelling a spacecraft, including a combustion chamber having a flange end, an open nozzle end, and an enclosed chamber portion extending therebetween, a propellant tank in fluidic communication with the combustion chamber, an electronic controller, a power source operationally connected to the electronic controller, and a fluid flow motivator operationally connected to the electronic controller and connected in fluidic communication with the propellant tank. The engine further includes a chemical propulsion portion further including a propellant inlet port operationally connected to the combustion chamber and disposed adjacent the flange end, an ignition trigger electrode positioned in the combustion chamber adjacent the propellant inlet port and operationally connected to the electronic controller and operationally connected to the power source, wherein the propellant inlet port is fluidically connected to the propellant tank. The engine also includes an electric propulsion portion, further including at least two spaced electrodes for ionizing the propellant positioned in the combustion chamber adjacent the nozzle end, a plurality of attitude control thrusters operationally connected to the electronic controller and in fluidic communication with the propellant tank, and a plurality of respective valves, each respective valve fluidically connected between a respective attitude control thruster and the propellant tank, wherein the propellant inlet port is fluidically connected to the propellant tank.

    A PLASMA REACTOR
    9.
    发明公开
    A PLASMA REACTOR 审中-公开

    公开(公告)号:US20240010363A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-01-11

    申请号:US18035628

    申请日:2021-09-16

    摘要: A plasma reactor is provided together with a method for generating kinetic energy to propel a craft. The reactor includes an inlet for plasma; a reactor core having an interior chamber and an exterior chamber, the interior chamber being configured to rotate within the exterior chamber; a pair of opposing polar field generators, a first polar field generator connected proximal to an inlet of the interior chamber, and a second polar field generator connected proximal to an outlet of the interior chamber, the pair of polar field generators configured to induce a current in the plasma to generate a toroidal flow therein, wherein the toroidal flow compresses the plasma into a z-pinch flow in a central column between the first polar field generator and the second polar field generator; turbine blades located between the interior chamber and the exterior chamber for generating thrust to convert the z-pinch flow to kinetic energy; and an outlet.