Air-breathing plasma thruster
AssigneeU.S. Department of Energy
InventorYevgeny Raitses
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more embodiments relates to an air-breathing plasma thruster including a thruster wall, an anode, a cathode, and at least one ring electrode. The thruster wall defines a cylindrical channel, the cylindrical channel having a first end and an opposing second end in fluid communication with the first end, where the cylindrical channel is adapted to receive incoming airflow. The anode is at the first end of the channel and the cathode is at the second end of the channel opposite the first end. The at least one ring electrode is positioned on the thruster wall.
Claims21
An air-breathing plasma thruster comprising:
- a thruster wall defining a cylindrical channel, the cylindrical channel having a first end and an opposing second end in fluid communication with the first end, the cylindrical channel adapted to receive incoming airflow;
- an anode at the first end of the cylindrical channel;
- a cathode at the second end of the cylindrical channel opposite the first end;
- and
- at least one additional, intermediate electron-emitting electrode positioned on the thruster wall.
A satellite having an air-breathing plasma thruster, the air-breathing plasma thruster comprising:
- a thruster wall having a plurality of magnetic fields formed therein and defining a cylindrical channel, the cylindrical channel having a first end and an opposing second end in fluid communication with the first end, the cylindrical channel adapted to receive an incoming airflow;
- an anode proximate the first end;
- a cathode proximate the second end;
- at least one exit ring electrode biased positive and positioned on the thruster wall between the anode and the cathode;
- and
- a plurality of ring electrodes biased negative with respect to the anode and positioned on the thruster wall between the at least one exit electrode and the anode.
A method of forming a plasma jet using an air-breathing plasma thruster, the method comprising:
- receiving incoming air flow in a cylindrical channel defined by the inside wall of the air-breathing thruster, forming a volume of air;
- ionizing the volume of air using electron beams generated by cathodes and confined by segmented electrodes and one or more magnetic field cusps, forming ionized air;
- accelerating the ionized air using applied electric and diverging magnetic fields, forming a plasma jet;
- and
- generating the plasma jet at an outlet of the air-breathing thruster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.