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US 9,123,850 B2Granted
Systems and methods for generating electric current from hyperthermal chemical reaction
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsEdward H. Allen, Andrew G. York
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric generator is disclosed that includes a duct configured to direct hyperthermal air molecules toward a source of exothermic fuel, a fuel dispenser configured to dispense fuel into a flow of the hyperthermal air molecules to cause a hyperthermic chemical reaction between the fuel and the hyperthermal air molecules that produces highly internally excited air molecules. The excited molecules amplify a seed current. Power harvesting cells are configured to capture and convert the amplified current to electricity.
Claims14
An air vehicle, comprising:
- a plasma propulsion system having a control volume;
- a fuel dispenser configured to dispense exothermic fuel molecules into a flow of hyperthermal air molecules in the control volume for leading to a hyperthermal-chemical reaction in the control volume between the hyperthermal air molecules and the exothermic fuel molecules to produce internally excited reaction products in an energetic population inversion;
- a resonant seed current source, said resonant seed current source being distinct from the internally excited reaction products, and under the influence of a controller, the resonant seed current source being configured to controllably inject resonant photons into the internally excited reaction products in the control volume, so as to extract laser radiation from the internally excited reaction products;
- and
- opposing surfaces within the control volume comprising a plurality of power harvesting cells downstream of a location where the exothermic fuel molecules and the hyperthermal air molecules form the internally excited reaction products, each opposing surface comprising at least one of the plurality of power harvesting cells, the plurality of power harvesting cells being configured to capture the laser radiation and convert at least a portion of the laser radiation to an electrical current feeding the plasma propulsion system.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- directing a flow of hyperthermal air molecules from a plasma propulsion system toward a source of exothermic fuel molecules in a control volume of the plasma propulsion system;
- dispensing exothermic fuel molecules, via the source of exothermic fuel molecules, into the flow of the hyperthermal air molecules in the control volume, thereby leading to a hyperthermal-chemical reaction between the exothermic fuel molecules and the flow of hyperthermal air molecules that produces internally excited reaction products in an energetic population inversion;
- injecting resonant photons, from a resonant photon source distinct from the internally excited reaction products, into the internally excited reaction products in the control volume, the resonant photons being injected under the influence of a controller, so as to extract laser radiation from the internally excited reaction products with the resonant photons;
- propagating the internally excited reaction products between opposing surfaces, comprising a plurality of power harvesting cells, each opposing surface comprising at least one of the plurality of power harvesting cells;
- interacting at least a portion of the laser radiation from the internally excited reaction products with the plurality of power harvesting cells so as to produce an electrical current;
- and
- feeding the electrical current to the plasma propulsion system.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.