Systems and methods for plasma jets
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsDaniel Miller, Paul McClure, Charles Chase, Robert Boyd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma jet system includes a housing with an opening. A plasma generator is coupled to ionize a fluid in the housing. An electromagnetic accelerator is coupled to generate an electric field that accelerates ionized fluid in the housing toward the opening. A controller can modulate the frequency of the electric field to cause the ionized fluid to form a plasma vortex flow through the opening. A magnetic field is applied normal to the direction of the plasma vortex flow to mitigate the momentum of the electrons. The electrons slowed by the magnetic field can be collected and conducted to a location where they are re-inserted into the plasma vortex flow to maintain charge neutrality.
Claims20
A plasma jet system, comprising:
- a housing including one opening, wherein a partially ionized fluid is drawn into the opening;
- an electromagnetic accelerator configured to generate an electric field that accelerates the ionized fluid in the housing toward the opening in the housing, and to generate a magnetic field transverse to the electric field;
- and
- a controller coupled to modulate the electromagnetic accelerator, thereby causing the ionized fluid to form a pulsed plasma flow through the opening in the housing.
A method comprising:
- accelerating an ionized fluid through an electric field in a housing, wherein the housing includes one opening and the electric field is oriented to accelerate the ionized fluid in the direction of the opening, thereby forming a plasma flow;
- generating a magnetic field transverse to the electric field, wherein the magnetic field decelerates electrons in the housing;
- collecting decelerated electrons;
- and
- transporting collected electrons to a location where the collected electrons are reinserted into the plasma flow.
An apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure including one opening;
- an electric field generator operable to generate an electric field in the enclosure;
- a magnetic field generator operable to generate a magnetic field transverse to the electric field;
- and
- an ionized fluid source configured to provide ionized fluid in the enclosure, wherein the electric field is oriented to accelerate the ionized fluid toward the opening to generate a plasma jet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.