# US 8,312,704 B2 · High pressure field emitter, photoionization, plasma initiation and field devices

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- Number: US 8,312,704 B2
- Document ID: US8312704B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/383,847
- Filed: 2006-05-17
- Published: 2006-10-12
- Granted: 2012-11-20
- Earliest claimed: 2003-05-20
- Inventors: John Patrick Keady
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8312704B2

## CPC

- F03H 1/0081: {Electromagnetic plasma thrusters}
- F03H 1/0012: {Means for supplying the propellant}
- H01J 27/26: using surface ionisation, e.g. field effect ion sources, thermionic ion sources (H01J27/20, H01J27/24 take precedence)
- H01J 2201/30411: conical shaped, e.g. Spindt type
- H01S 5/11: Comprising a photonic bandgap structure
- F03H: PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (from combustion products F02K)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL

## Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a propulsion device that ionizes a portion of a medium and ExB drifts the ionized portion providing thrust where the ionized portion is created using high pressure field emitters comprising: a substrate layer; a gate layer; a field emitter tip; and a cover layer, wherein the field emitter tip is configured to emit electrons in a region when there is a potential difference between the gate layer and the field emitter tip, where the cover layer separates an ambient environment at a pressure from the region, and where a substantial portion of the electrons pass through the cover layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A propulsion device comprising:
at least a first charged fluid injector, wherein the first charged fluid injector is configured to inject a charged fluid into a plasma generation chamber including a medium, wherein the charged fluid provides free charges, wherein the free charges are energized, and wherein the energized free charges ionize at least a first portion of the medium; and
a field generation device, wherein the field generation device is configured to generate an electric and magnetic field, and wherein the electric and magnetic fields have a ExB component, wherein the ExB component accelerates a portion of the first portion producing a thrust.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a heating unit, wherein the heating unit changes the phase of a portion of the charged fluid into a gas including the free charges.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The propulsion device according to claim 2, wherein the heating unit is a microwave generator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The propulsion device according to claim 3 further comprising:
a free charge energizing device including an oscillating electromagnetic field generator, wherein the oscillation frequency is selected to ionize the first portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The propulsion device according to claim 4, wherein the frequency is the plasma frequency associated with the free charges in the medium.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The propulsion device according to claim 3, further comprising:
a free charge acceleration device, wherein the acceleration device is configured to generate a potential difference that accelerates the free charges to an energy equal to or greater than the average ionization energy of the medium.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, where the medium is injected into the plasma generation chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The propulsion device according to claim 7, where the medium is ambient air that enters the plasma generation chamber from an inlet, where a portion of the charged fluid is turned into gas with a net charge, where the gas with a net charge mixes with a portion of the air in plasma generation chamber, where the gas with a net charge is oscillated at a frequency that ionizes a portion of the air, where the ionized portion of the air is accelerated to the ExB drift velocity producing thrust.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The propulsion device according to claim 8, where the portion of the charged fluid that is turned into gas with a net charge is turned into the gas by a heating unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The propulsion device according to claim 8, where the ambient air is composed of the gases in the ambient environment through which the propulsion device travels.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The propulsion device according to claim 8, further including a charge generation device, where the generating device neutralizes the exhaust of the propulsion device.