Electrode design for lift augmentation and power generation of atmospheric entry vehicles during aerocapture and entry, descent, and landing maneuvers
AssigneeUnited States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
InventorsRobert W. Moses, Foy M. Cheatwood, Christopher O. Johnston, Sergey Macheret, Bernard Parent, Justin Little
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow control mechanism is described which substantially improves the existing processes in that smaller magnetic fields, requiring far less mass, may be placed away from the forebody of the spacecraft to produce Lorentz forces that augment the lift and the drag forces for guidance, navigation, and control of the spacecraft. The MHD flow control mechanism may also be configured to provide additional thermal protection of the electrodes therein.
Claims19
A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow control system for use with an aeroshell of a spacecraft comprising:
- at least a first pair of electrodes configured to be embedded in a first predetermined portion of the aeroshell, wherein the at least a first predetermined portion of the aeroshell is a channel having multiple side walls and a bottom portion connecting the multiple side walls having an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface, and further wherein each electrode is embedded within one of the multiple side walls of the channel;
- and
- a magnet configured for placement on an inward facing surface of the bottom of the channel.
An aeroshell for use with a spacecraft comprising:
- a blunt-body configuration having at least one channel formed therein, wherein the at least one channel has multiple sides and a bottom connecting the multiple sides having an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface;
- at least a first pair of electrodes embedded in at least two of the multiple sides of the at least one channel;
- a magnet placed on an inward facing surface of the bottom of the least one channel.
An aeroshell for use with a spacecraft comprising:
- multiple channels formed therein, wherein each of the multiple channels has multiple sides and a bottom connecting the multiple sides including an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface;
- multiple electrode pairs embedded in at least two of the multiple sides of one of the multiple channels;
- and
- at least one magnet associated with each of the multiple electrode pairs, the at least one magnet being placed on an inward facing surface of the bottom of the one of the multiple channels containing the multiple electrode pairs embedded therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.