Propulsion device for transmitting momentum
AssigneeEuropean Aeronautic Defence and Space Company Eads France
InventorJean-Francois Geneste
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propulsion device for exerting a propulsive force on a vehicle generates an impulse of momentum by a piston of non-zero mass, an acceleration produced by a force acting on a structure of the vehicle and the braking produced in isolation inside the propulsion device without any force being applied to the vehicle. The piston moves inside a cross-shaped cavity from a reference position to an end of a cylindrical part of the cavity where it is stopped by a gas that it compresses adiabatically. The cross-shaped cavity is rotated by a quarter turn before the piston is released to return to the reference position. The propulsion device can comprise two cross-shaped cavities rotating in opposite directions.
Claims15
1-13. (canceled)
A propulsion device for exerting a propulsive force on a vehicle by momentum exchange, comprising:
- at least one sealed cavity comprising one or more cylindrical parts;
- at least one piston of non-zero mass, inside said at least one sealed cavity containing a gas and movable within said one or more cylindrical parts in a sealed manner so that the gas located in a cylindrical part on one side of said at least one piston does not flow between said at least one piston and a wall of the cylindrical part opposite said at least one piston;
- and
- wherein a momentum is obtained by a movement of said at least one piston, an acceleration of said at least one piston produced by a force acting on a structure of the vehicle, and a braking produced in isolation inside the propulsion device, without any force being applied to the vehicle, by a device that absorbs a kinetic energy of said at least one piston disposed in said at least one sealed cavity so as to brake said at least one piston in isolation inside the propulsion device, the braking of said at least one piston resulting from a compression of the gas between a face of said at least one piston and an end of said at least one sealed cavity inside which said at least one piston is moved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.