Methods and systems for propelling an externally powered vehicle
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorBrian J. Tillotson
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Abstract
A vehicle is disclosed that includes a propellant tank, an optical absorber operable to transform optical energy into thermal energy, a quantity of solid lithium within the propellant tank, a heat exchanger, and an engine. The heat exchanger is operable to transfer thermal energy from the optical absorber to the quantity of solid lithium to liquefy at least a portion of the solid lithium, and further operable to boil the liquefied portion of the solid lithium. The engine is operable to utilize lithium vapor from the boiled lithium to propel the vehicle.
Claims21
A vehicle comprising:
- a propellant tank;
- a quantity of solid propellant containing lithium within said propellant tank;
- an optical absorber operable to transform optical energy into thermal energy;
- a heat exchanger operable to transfer thermal energy from said optical absorber to said quantity of solid propellant to liquefy at least a portion of the solid propellant, said heat exchanger operable to boil the liquefied portion of the lithium in the propellant;
- and
- an engine operable to utilize lithium vapor from the boiled lithium to propel said vehicle.
A method for propelling a vehicle comprising:
- generating a quantity of thermal energy from light energy;
- utilizing a portion of the thermal energy to melt solid propellant containing lithium within a propellant tank thereby providing liquefied lithium;
- pumping the liquefied lithium through a heat exchanger to generate boiling lithium;
- and
- utilizing vapor generated from the boiling lithium as a propellant.
A vehicle including a solid propellant containing lithium for propelling the vehicle, said vehicle operable to transform optical energy into thermal energy and utilize the thermal energy liquefy at least a portion of the solid propellant to propel said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.