GB2312709A

GB2312709A - Flying craft with magnetic field/electric arc vertical thrust producing means

Info

Publication number: GB2312709A
Application number: GB9608893A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Johnston Burns
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-04-30
Filing date: 1996-04-30
Publication date: 1997-11-05
Also published as: GB9608893D0

Abstract

A saucer-shaped craft has a central electrode on a post 8, and a ring electrode 13 whereby an arc may be struck therebetween to heat/ignite fuel introduced via conduits 7 and nozzles 11, to produce vertical thrust. Superconducting coils, forming rings 15, can generate a magnetic field to cause the arc to rotate. The magnetic field may also interact with the earth's magnetic field to cause a propulsive effect. Alternatively, a fan (18, fig. 3) may produce a downwards airflow subsequently heated by the arc struck between the electrodes.

Description

FLYING CRAFT" The present invention relates to a flying craft, especially to such a craft designed for entry into space or for flight at very high altitudes.

Flying craft capable of vertical lift e.g. at takeoff are now well established and find particular application for space flight and inter planetary travel.

To provide sufficient thrust for the vertical lift, the flying craft has traditionally used a jet or rocket engine athough vertical lift is achievable by fan means such as used in helicopters and other flying craft e.g.

as shown in EP-A-O 696 984 (or as described in the applicant's G.B. Patent Application 9 600 648.1 filed 12 January 1996). However, the energy requirement to provide for vertical motion of the flying craft has been high resulting in very heavy fuel consumption, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved propulsion system in a flying craft obviating or mitigating this disadvantage.

Therefore according to the present invention there is provided a propulsion system in a flying craft for use in the provision of vertical motion to the craft, said propulsion system including any of (a) a powerful magnetic field producing means and (b) means for producing a substantial electric arc, and preferably a combination of the features (a) and (b).

In particular the magnetic field of the magnetic field producing means can react with the earths magnetic field at a suitable location relative to the earth to provide for vertical lift effect, and it is contended that a sufficiently strong magnetic field path for this purpose is present naturally adjacent the Earth's North Pole.

The present invention is also a method of propelling a flying craft by causing a magnetic field produced at the flying craft to react with a naturally occurring magnetic field path.

Preferably the means for producing the magnetic field comprises one or more annularly arranged superconductor coils arranged on a bottom surface of the flying craft.

The substantial electric arc of high voltage is preferably struck between an annular voltage ring formation and a central electrode. Where a jet producing engine is used in the flying craft the electric arc can serve to ignite a discharge of engine fuel to provide jet thrust, or alternatively where lift is produced by fan means the electric arc will serve to heat air discharged from the fan means to increase the thrust.

The engine fuel may comprise any suitable fuel but it is contended a helium based fuel such as helium 3 or a fluoride may be conveniently usable.

Further, the field created by the magnetic field producing means can serve to rotate the arc and this will increase the effectiveness of the arc in handling the discharged engine fuel or air. Suitable electric energy supply means will be present in the craft to supply a suitable elevated current to the magnetic field producing means, and the energy pack of the applicant's G.B. Patent Application No. 9 525 399 filed 12 December 1995 could be used in these supply means, and also for the electric arc production.

Preferably said means to generate a powerful electric arc are locatedat the bottom of the craft, electric energy supply means being housed in the craft for this arc generation. Said electric arc generating means preferably comprises an annular series of superconductor elements on the craft's bottom, defining an arcing zone. Engine fuel can be injected into this arcing zone, and in particular it is preferred that this fuel is a gas comprising helium. The gas can be injected in the form of an "aerosol" spray.

In a preferred embodiment the flying craft is of an annular or "dished" type. In particular the bottom of the dished craft can comprise a peripheral portion with an upwardly inclined edge, and magnetic field producing means may be located in this peripheral portion for example in the form of rings. Said peripheral portion preferably has an annular undulating surface. The arc generating means can be positioned in a central portion of the crafts bottom, and this central portion may be part of a central concave area of the bottom.

The top of the dished craft is preferably shaped to reduce resistance to vertical motion of the craft, and can comprise an annular convex wall, with a central upwardly extending tower or proboscis. Examples of propulsion means in the form of a fan device or jet motor housed in a central duct in a flying craft are described in the applicant's G.B. Patent Applications 2 288 779 and No. 9 600648.1 (filed 12 January 1996). Further propulsion devices in tunnel means could serve separately or additionally for sideways flight of the craft. The flying craft can include suitable devices for directional control of the craft.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a flying craft in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the flying craft of Fig.

1 arranged in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a similar view as Fig. 2 but for a flying craft in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a view from below of the flying craft of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a view from above of the flying craft; Figs. 6 and 7 show further views illustrating the propulsion method of the present invention; Fig. 8 shows a plan view of the electric arc generating arrangement of the craft of Fig. 1; and Fig. 9 shows a side view of a possible arc to a larger scale.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a dished shape flying craft 1 has a bottom 2 including an upwardly inclined peripheral portion 3 and an annular surface of undulating form, while the central portion 4 of the crafts bottom can be of concave shape. The top of the dished craft 1 (best seen in Fig. 2) is configured with a view to reducing resistance to vertical motion of the craft.

Thus the top has a peripheral convex part 5 and a central tower or proboscis 6. The flying craft 1 (Fig. 2) has jet propulsion means for vertical lift and these means comprise downward discharge conduits 7 for fuel housed in a central post 8 located in an open bottomed chamberor tunnel 9, having wall 9A and tanks 10 in the tower 6 to supply fuel to the conduits 7, discharge nozzles 11 being provided for fuel discharge at the bottom of the post 8.

The fuel jets are ignited by a unique feature of the craft 1 in the form of arc generating means 12 at the centre of the craft's bottom 2. These means 12 preferably comprise a ring electrode 13 and a second central electrode 13 on the post 8, the arcs being struck between the ring electrode 13 and the central electrode 14 as shown. The ring electrode 13 can comprise an annular series of elements Al - An and B1 - B2 as shown in Fig. 8. For the arcs, a source of electrical power is housed in the craft 1 and preferably this includes electric energy packs as described in the applicant's G.B. Patent Application No. 9 525 399 (filed 12 December 1995). Thus a very high voltage of for example 5000 KVA can be arced between the ring 13 and the central electrode 14. The jet fuel can comprise any suitable liquid (or gas) but it is contended helium gas, previously understood to be unsuitable, could be used especially in Helium 3 or other form. A further inventive feature of the flying craft 1 comprises a means for producing a strong magnetic field at the bottom of the craft 1. These magnetic fields producing means are constituted in this example by a series of superconductor ring formation 15 each made up of superconductor coils 16 as shown in the detail appended to Fig. 2. These superconductor coils 16 can be charged with current utilising suitable electrical supply means again preferably utilising the power packs of U.K. Patent Application No. 0 525 399. When these coils 16 are suitably energised a powerful magnetic field will be produced with a central axis 17 and this powerful/magnetic field will have the effect of causing the electric arcs produced by the generating means 12 to rotate about the axis 17 as indicated in Fig. 8 to enhance the thrust effect of the jet prorpulsion. The helium or other fuel can be pumped into the tunnel 9 in the form of an "aerosol" spray.

The above flying craft 1 can be advantageously used in a propulsion method of the present invention now described. The basis of this method is to place the flying craft 1 above a strong magnetic field path P extending normally from the earth as shown in Fig. 6/?, and provide a strong magnetic field at the flying craft opposing this natural field path P to cause a propulsion effect T on the craft, specifically to urge the craft vertically away from the earth. It is contended a suitable naturally occurring magnetic field characteristic is present displaced slightly westwards by an angle a from the geographical North Pole N. Angle a is believed to be about 100 - 150. The magnetic field producing means above described for the flying craft 1 will be suitable for providing this opposing field.

Return to earth will probably be best via the South Pole S.

Further by controlling the counterfield the propulsion effect can be reduced to enable hovering of the craft above the earth.

It is believed the particular field P shown in Fig. 6 may have a width of about 1200 ft (356 m) and the diameter of craft 1 should be less than this for best results. The Applicant contends that such a magnetic field (or the like) extends vertically into space towards a neighbouring planet and for convenience refers to this field as Ryans field so enabling the production of Ryan energy.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5 is similar to that of Fig. 2 but in this case instead of a jet propulsion means vertical thrust is achieved by a powerful fan 18 located in the tunnel 9 and comprising large diameter blades 19. Side openings 20 in the tower 6 of the craft 1 serve as air inlets to the tunnel 9.

The electric arcs produced between ring 13, and central electrode 14, again rotating by virtue of the powerful magnetic field presence, have the effect of heating the downwards thrusting airflow from the fan 18 so as to substantially enhance the thrust. Power for the fan 18 can take any suitable form but electrical power is particularly preferred, especially utilising the power packs of G.B.-A-9 525 399.

The bottom of the craft 1 includes undulations 21 providing a series of annular concavities creating or increasing the parachute effect at vertical take-off and landing.

The craft can also include subsidiary propulsion means to those described above, both for vertical ascent/descent and for normal flight. Sutable such means are described in the applicant's G.B. Patent Publication 2 288 779 and G.B. Patent Application No. 9 600 648.1 (filed 12 January 1996. Further suitable control will be provided for directional control of the craft. Further, solar energy could be used appropriately for the power sources, by the provision of solar energy panels on the flying craft.

A flying craft according to the present invention should be capable of very high speed.

Claims

1. A flying craft including a propulsion system providing vertical motion to the craft, said propulsion system including any of (a) a powerful magnetic field producing means and (b) means for producing a substantial electric arc.

2. A flying craft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the propulsion system comprises the combination or the powerful magnetic field producing means and the means for producing a substantial electric arc.

3. A flying craft as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for producing the magnetic field comprises one or more annularly arranged superconductor coils arranged on a bottom surface of the flying craft.

4. A flying craft as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the substantial electric arc of high voltage is struck between an annular voltage ring formation and a central electrode.

5. A flying craft as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, a jet producing engine is used in the flying craft and the electric arc serves to ignite a discharge of engine fuel to provide jet thrust.

6. A flying craft as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein fan means are provided to produce lift for the craft and the electric arc serves to heat air discharged from the fan means to increase the thrust.

7. A flying craft as claimed in claim 5, wherein engine fuel comprising a helium 3 or a fluoride is supplied to the jet producing engine.

8. A flying craft as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the field created by the magnetic field producing means serves to rotate the arc so as to increase the effectiveness of the arc in handling discharged engine fuel or air from an engine of the craft.

9. A flying craft as claimed in any one the preceding claims, including electric energy supply means to supply a suitable elevated current to the magnetic field producing means, and/or for the electric arc production.

10. A flying craft as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said means to generate a powerful electric arc are located at the bottom of the craft, electric energy supply means being housed in the craft for this arc generation.

11. A flying craft as claimed in claim 10, wherein, said electric arc generating means comprises an annular series of superconductor elements on the craft's bottom, defining an arcing zone.

12. A flying craft as claimed in claim 11, wherein engine fuel is injected into said arcing zone.

13. A flying craft as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flying craft is of an annular or "dished" type and the bottom of the dished craft comprises a peripheral portion with an upwardly inclined edge, magnetic field producing means being located in the peripheral portion for example in the form of rings.

14. A flying craft as claimed in claim 13, wherein said peripheral portion has an annular undulating surface.

15. A flying craft as claimed in claim 14, wherein the arc generating means is positioned in a central portion of the crafts bottom.

16. A flying craft as claimed in claim 15, wherein said central portion is part of a central concave area of the bottom.

17. A flying craft as claimed in any one of 13 to 16, wherein the top of the dished craft is shaped to reduce resistance to vertical motion of the craft, and comprises an annular convex wall, with a central upwardly extending tower or proboscis.

18. A method of propelling a flying craft by causing a magnetic field produced at the flying craft to react with a naturally occurring magnetic field path.

19. A flying craft substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs 1 or 2, or Figs 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of propelling a flying craft as claimed in claim 18 and substantially as hereinbefore described.