# US 12,006,923 B2 · Intake system for an atmosphere breathing electric thruster for a spacecraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,923 B2 - Document ID: US12006923B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/181,731 - Filed: 2021-02-22 - Published: 2021-08-26 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-25 - Assignees: VKI—von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics - Applicants: VKI—von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics - Inventors: Damien Le Quang; Zuheyr Alsalihi; Pietro Parodi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006923B2 ## CPC - F03H 1/0012: {Means for supplying the propellant} - F03H 1/0043: {characterised by the acceleration grid (extraction optics for ion sources H01J27/024)} - B64G 1/4005: {Air-breathing propulsion} - B64G 1/411: {Electric propulsion} - B64G 1/413: {Ion or plasma engines} - H05H 1/54: Plasma accelerators - B64G 1/242: {Orbits and trajectories} - F03H: PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (from combustion products F02K) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS ## Abstract An intake system for an atmosphere-breathing electric thruster is disclosed, comprising an inlet for inflow of atmosphere particles, an outlet for coupling to the thruster for fueling collected atmosphere particles to the thruster, a collector arranged between the inlet and the outlet comprising multiple channels for allowing inflowing atmosphere particles to pass through the channels towards the outlet, the channels defining an inlet area and a length, wherein a position of at least part of the channels is adjustable to alter at least one of the inlet area and the length. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An intake system for an atmosphere-breathing electric thruster, comprising: an inlet for an inflow of atmosphere particles; an outlet for coupling to the atmosphere-breathing electric thruster for fueling atmosphere particles collected from the inflow by the intake system to the atmosphere-breathing electric thruster; a collector arranged between the inlet and the outlet, said collector comprising multiple sections, each section of the multiple sections having circumferential walls with radial walls extending therebetween to define channels in each section of the multiple sections for allowing the inflow of atmosphere particles to pass towards the outlet, wherein said multiple sections are adjacent one another in an axial direction with respect to an axis of the circumferential walls, and the channels in each section of the multiple sections cooperate to define paths for the atmosphere particles to follow; wherein an alignment of the channels of one section of said multiple sections relative to channels of another section of said multiple sections is adjustable by rotation of the one section relative to the another section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, wherein the channels in each section of the multiple sections are arranged, in combination, as a grid of channels, wherein walls of the grid of channels extend over the length of the collector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The intake system of claim 2, wherein each section of the multiple sections is adjustable by translation relative to each other section of the multiple sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, wherein the collector is cone-shaped and tapers towards the outlet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The intake system of claim 4, wherein said circumferential walls form the cone shape with respect to the axial direction, and wherein an angle of at least one of said circumferential walls of is adjustable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, wherein the paths for the atmosphere particles to follow are adjustable as a function of environmental parameters and/or operation parameters. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling a rotational position of at least one of the multiple sections. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, further comprising a thermalization chamber for receiving the inflow of atmosphere particles collected by the collector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The intake system of claim 8, wherein in the thermalization chamber a conical deflection surface is provided that tapers towards the inlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The intake system of claim 1, further comprising an interface wall arranged at the outlet of the intake system for connection to the atmosphere-breathing electric thruster. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A system for spacecraft propulsion comprising: an intake system according to claim 1; a thruster, coupled to the outlet of the intake system, comprising an ionization chamber for ionizing the inflow of atmosphere particles for subsequent acceleration thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method for collecting atmosphere particles comprising: providing the intake system of claim 1; determining an operating point or operating window; receiving sensed data from at least one of: a motion sensor, an attitude sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a fluid sensor, a temperature sensor; calculating any deviation from the operating point or operating window; determining any adjustments required for the one section and the another section; instructing control elements to adjust the one section and/or the another section, whereby the one section and/or the another section are adjusted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 further comprising the spacecraft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the control elements include a motor. ### Claim 15 An intake system for an atmosphere-breathing electric thruster, comprising: an inlet for an inflow of air; an outlet for coupling to the atmosphere-breathing electric thruster for fueling the inflow of air to the atmosphere-breathing electric thruster; a collector arranged between the inlet and the outlet, said collector comprising at least a movable section and a static section, each of the movable section and the static section having circumferential walls with radial walls extending therebetween to define channels in the movable section and the static section for allowing the inflow of air to pass towards the outlet, wherein the movable section and the static section share a common central axis over an axial direction in which the movable section and the static section extend, wherein the movable section is rotatable about the common central axis and the static section is non-rotatable about the common central axis, and the channels of the movable section and the static section cooperate to define paths for the inflow of air to follow, each path having an inlet area; wherein the each inlet is adjustable by rotation of said movable section relative to said static section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The intake system of claim 15, wherein the movable section and the static section are adjustable by translation relative to one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The intake system of claim 15, wherein at the outlet a conical deflection surface is provided that tapers towards the inlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) A system for spacecraft propulsion comprising: an intake system according to claim 15; a thruster, coupled to the outlet of the intake system, comprising an ionization chamber for ionizing atmosphere particles in the inflow of air for subsequent acceleration thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 further comprising the spacecraft.