Solar thermal propulsion engine

Abstract

The invention is directed to a solar thermal propulsion engine which comprises: (a) an ogive solar collection cavity with inner and outer walls having therebetween a heat exchange medium which can pass and heat a propellant fluid, and having its highest temperature deep within the cavity, and (b) a nozzle attached to and communicating with the heat exchange medium through which the heated propellant fluid can be passed to create thrust. In addition, this invention is directed to a solar thermal propulsion engine which comprises. (a) a heat exchanger having a geometry such that it has inner and outer walls having therebetween an open cell foam heat exchange medium through which a propellant can pass with tubulence, wherein solar radiation can heat the inner wall and the open foam heat exchange medium to, in turn, heat the propellant, and (b) a nozzle attached to and communicating with the open cell foam heat exchange medium through which the heated propellant fluid can be passed to creat thrust. In a preferred embodiment, the heat exchange medium of the ogive solar collection cavity is the open cell foam heat exchange medium. In a more preferred embodiment, such a preferred solar thermal propulsion engine further includes a paraboloid solar concentrator having the foam heat exchange medium in its walls.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.