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US 6,644,014 B2Granted
Electric thruster and thrust augmenter
OwnerAnthony Italo Provitolainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric thruster and thrust augmenter is disclosed in which intaken or compressed atmospheric gas or reaction thruster exhaust is passed through a gap space between electrodes so that the atmospheric or reaction thrust exhaust gases are subjected to an electric current of sufficient intensity to rapidly heat and expand such gasses through an exhaust nozzle to produce reaction thrust.
Claims20
An electric thruster comprising:
- (a) a gas duct defining an atmospheric gas intake,
- (b) a source of atmospheric gas;
- (c) an electrode chamber further comprising one or more pairs of electrodes mounted so that said one or more pairs of electrodes are separated by a gap space through which an electric current is directed between the electrodes of each of said one or more pairs of electrodes;
- and so that said electric current is generally perpendicular with and across the atmospheric gas flow through the gap space, and is of sufficient intensity to rapidly heat and thereby increase the velocity of the atmospheric gas which is passing through the electrode chamber without subjecting the atmospheric gas flow to acceleration by magnetic effects;
- (d) a source of electric power;
- (e) a compressor for compressing atmospheric gas;
- and
- (f) a nozzle operatively associated with the gas duct to exhaust gasses from the gas duct to produce thrust.
5 more elements
An electric thruster comprising:
- (a) a gas duct;
- (b) a source of atmospheric gas;
- (c) an electrode chamber further comprising one or more pairs of electrodes mounted so that said one or more pairs of electrodes are separated by a gap space through which an electric current is directed between the electrodes of each of said one or more pairs of electrodes;
- and so that said electric current is generally perpendicular with and across the atmospheric gas flow through the gap space, and is of sufficient intensity to rapidly heat and thereby increase the velocity of the atmospheric gas which is passing through the electrode chamber without subjecting the atmospheric gas flow to acceleration by magnetic effects;
- (d) a source of electric power;
- (e) a nozzle operatively associated with the gas duct to exhaust atmospheric gas from the gas duct to produce thrust;
- (f) a compressor for compressing atmospheric gas;
- and
- (g) an electric motor for driving the compressor.
6 more elements
An electric thruster comprising:
- (a) a gas duct defining an atmospheric gas intake;
- (b) a source of atmospheric gas;
- (c) an electrode chamber further comprising one or more pairs of electrodes mounted so that said one or more pairs of electrodes are separated by a gap space through which an electric current is directed between the electrodes of each of said one or more pairs of electrodes;
- and so that said electric current is generally perpendicular with and across the atmospheric gas flow through the gap space, and is of sufficient intensity to rapidly heat and thereby increase the velocity of the atmospheric gas which is passing through the electrode chamber without subjecting the atmospheric gas flow to acceleration by magnetic effects;
- (d) a source of electric power;
- (e) a compressor for compressing atmospheric gas;
- (f) an ion acceleration chamber operatively associated with the gas duct for receiving atmospheric gas which has passed through the electric arc chamber;
- (g) an ion accelerator disposed in said ion acceleration chamber;
- and
- (h) a nozzle operatively associated with the gas duct to exhaust gas from the gas duct to produce thrust.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.