GB949240A - Reaction propulsion means - Google Patents

Reaction propulsion means

Info

Publication number
GB949240A
GB949240A GB35646/61A GB3564661A GB949240A GB 949240 A GB949240 A GB 949240A GB 35646/61 A GB35646/61 A GB 35646/61A GB 3564661 A GB3564661 A GB 3564661A GB 949240 A GB949240 A GB 949240A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
liquid
openings
potential
voltage
positive
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB35646/61A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc
Original Assignee
Aerojet General Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Aerojet General Corp filed Critical Aerojet General Corp
Publication of GB949240A publication Critical patent/GB949240A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H—PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H1/00—Using plasma to produce a reactive propulsive thrust
    • F03H1/0006—Details applicable to different types of plasma thrusters
    • F03H1/0012—Means for supplying the propellant
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/40—Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems
    • B64G1/405—Ion or plasma engines
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/40—Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems
    • B64G1/408—Nuclear spacecraft propulsion
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/42—Arrangements or adaptations of power supply systems
    • B64G1/421—Non-solar power generation
    • B64G1/422—Nuclear power generation
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02K—JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02K9/00—Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof
    • F02K9/72—Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof using liquid and solid propellants, i.e. hybrid rocket-engine plants
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H—PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H1/00—Using plasma to produce a reactive propulsive thrust
    • F03H1/0006—Details applicable to different types of plasma thrusters
    • F03H1/0025—Neutralisers, i.e. means for keeping electrical neutrality
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H—PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H1/00—Using plasma to produce a reactive propulsive thrust
    • F03H1/0037—Electrostatic ion thrusters

Abstract

949,240. Jet propulsion plant. AEROJET-GENERAL CORPORATION. Oct. 3, 1961 [Nov. 23, 1960], No. 35646/61. Heading F1J. A jet propulsion system for producing thrust in a substantial vacuum comprises a body of liquid having a vapour pressure not greater than 10<SP>-5</SP> mm of mercury at about 20‹C, the liquid being contained in a chamber having minute openings through which the liquid can pass, liquid dispersion means being disposed adjacent the openings. Means are provided for subjecting the contained liquid to a relatively high electric potential, and further means are provided for creating and maintaining a gradient electrostatic field in spaced relation to the liquid dispersion means whereby charged droplets of the liquid are ejected from the dispersion means as the result of the high potential and are focused and accelerated in any desired direction, there also being means for injecting negative particles into the droplets after they have been focused and accelerated. In Fig. 1 liquid 34 is contained in a chamber 32 which is provided with openings 28 in one wall thereof, the liquid being subjected to a high positive voltage by means of a circular electrode 36 which is connected to the positive terminal of the electrostatic generator 10 through line 20. The generator may be a Van de Graaff type generator driven by a turbine 14, the working fluid of which is heated in a nuclear reactor 12. The liquid passes through the openings 28 under the influence of a force such as applied pressure or capillary attraction. A drift tube assembly 38 is arranged adjacent the openings 28 and comprises drift tubes or accelerating rings surrounding the stream of the charged colloidal droplets 40. The drift tube 30 nearest the discharge openings 28 is connected to the positive line 20 of the generator 10 through a portion 44 of the voltage divider 46, the remaining drift tubes being connected to further tappings along the divider, so that the voltage gradient varies from positive adjacent the openings 28 to neutral at the first drift tube 30 and to a high negative valve at the furthest drift tube 42. A shield member enclosing an electron or negative ion emitter 48 is disposed adjacent the drift tube 42, the emitter being powered by a separate voltage source, not shown and the shield being connected to the same high negative potential as the ring 42. The function of the emitter 48 is to overcome the space charge repulsion phenomena. The spray bank assembly is shown in greater detail in Fig. 2, the assembly comprising a plurality of steel pins 52 which project through the openings 28<SP>1</SP>. The alternative spray bank assembly shown in Fig. 4 comprises a plurality of capillary tubes 58 through which the liquid 34<SP>11</SP> passes, the liquid being atomised from the pointed outer ends thereof. The potential at the spray bank electrode 36 may be +100 kilovolts and that at the furthest drift tube 42-1,000 kilovolts. In Fig. 6 the spray bank is a combination of the needle and capillary tube arrangements shown in Fig. 2 and 4. The means for neutralizing the space charge in this embodiment comprises passing the colloid beam through a rarefied neutral gas stream 60 in such a manner that corona discharge induced by voltage gradients on the charged colloidal particles occurs in the gas 60, the electric charge on the rapidly moving colloidal droplets being transferred to the slower moving gas. The gas 60 is formed by heating liquid contained in a tank 62, the vapour being supplied to the nozzle 66 by a pump 64, the gas being subsequently passed to a condenser 70. Further spray bank assemblies utilizing sharp knife edges instead of points are described. Suitable liquids for use as propellants are dioctylphthalate, polypropylene glycol and glycerine. Desirable properties of the liquid are given. The liquid may alternatively be subjected to a high negative voltage, the resulting charged particles being passed through a gradient electrostatic field which becomes more positive in potential. The point of emission of the atomised droplets may alternatively be maintained at earth potential, the accelerating rings or drift tubes being maintained at high negative or positive voltage. The term colloid is used in the Specification to mean a substance in a state of fine division, the particles thereof varying in diameter from about 0À2 to about 0À005 micron.
GB35646/61A 1960-11-23 1961-10-03 Reaction propulsion means Expired GB949240A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71329A US3122882A (en) 1960-11-23 1960-11-23 Propulsion means

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB949240A true GB949240A (en) 1964-02-12

Family

ID=22100639

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB35646/61A Expired GB949240A (en) 1960-11-23 1961-10-03 Reaction propulsion means

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US3122882A (en)
GB (1) GB949240A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2358043A (en) * 1999-11-17 2001-07-11 Peter Smith Deriving thrust by accelerating charged particles

Families Citing this family (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1248820B (en) * 1962-04-02
US3191077A (en) * 1962-04-27 1965-06-22 Marks Polarized Corp Power conversion device
US3253402A (en) * 1963-01-29 1966-05-31 Rca Corp Apparatus for and method of emitting particles
US3173246A (en) * 1963-03-12 1965-03-16 Carl T Norgren Colloid propulsion method and apparatus
US3270498A (en) * 1963-11-05 1966-09-06 Gen Electric Controllable vaporizing gas accelerator
US3217488A (en) * 1964-04-22 1965-11-16 Ohain Hans J P Von Gas cooled colloid propulsion systems
US3341720A (en) * 1965-04-06 1967-09-12 Edmund S Sowa Apparatus for producing a beam of accelerated liquid metal droplets
US3475636A (en) * 1967-11-14 1969-10-28 Hughes Aircraft Co Liquid-metal arc cathode with maximized electron/atom emission ratio
US3512362A (en) * 1968-02-21 1970-05-19 Trw Inc Colloid thrustor extractor plate
US3545208A (en) * 1969-01-15 1970-12-08 Nasa Annular slit colloid thrustor
US3695040A (en) * 1970-03-17 1972-10-03 Michael D L Mason Aircraft power plant
JPS512497B1 (en) * 1970-04-28 1976-01-26
US3754397A (en) * 1970-10-23 1973-08-28 Trw Inc Colloid engine beam thrust vectoring
CA976599A (en) * 1971-04-08 1975-10-21 Senichi Masuda Electrified particles generating apparatus
US3789608A (en) * 1971-10-14 1974-02-05 Communications Satellite Corp Type of colloid propulsion
US3778678A (en) * 1972-02-16 1973-12-11 S Masuda Apparatus for electric field curtain of contact type
GB1574611A (en) * 1976-04-13 1980-09-10 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Ion sources
US6516604B2 (en) * 2000-03-27 2003-02-11 California Institute Of Technology Micro-colloid thruster system
US20030209005A1 (en) * 2002-05-13 2003-11-13 Fenn John Bennett Wick injection of liquids for colloidal propulsion
US7461502B2 (en) * 2003-03-20 2008-12-09 Elwing Llc Spacecraft thruster
ATE454553T1 (en) * 2004-09-22 2010-01-15 Elwing Llc PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR SPACE VEHICLES
US7872848B2 (en) * 2005-08-11 2011-01-18 The Boeing Company Method of ionizing a liquid and an electrostatic colloid thruster implementing such a method
AT512617B1 (en) * 2012-03-13 2016-04-15 Fotec Forschungs Und Technologietransfer Gmbh ion source
CN106945851A (en) * 2017-02-18 2017-07-14 河南农业大学 A kind of heat radiation propeller based on electronic kinetic energy
US10755826B2 (en) * 2017-11-10 2020-08-25 Nugen, Llc Integrated system for converting nuclear energy into electrical, rotational, and thermal energy
US11421589B1 (en) 2021-05-18 2022-08-23 Nugen, Llc Integrated system for converting nuclear energy into electrical, mechanical, and thermal energy
RU2763333C1 (en) * 2021-06-04 2021-12-28 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Московский авиационный институт (национальный исследовательский университет)» Colloidal electric propulsion

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2880337A (en) * 1958-01-02 1959-03-31 Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc Particle acceleration method and apparatus

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2358043A (en) * 1999-11-17 2001-07-11 Peter Smith Deriving thrust by accelerating charged particles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US3122882A (en) 1964-03-03

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
GB949240A (en) Reaction propulsion means
US3279176A (en) Ion rocket engine
US2763125A (en) Means for controlling the direction of a stream of ionized fluid
US10172227B2 (en) Plasma accelerator with modulated thrust
Swatik et al. Production of ions by electrohydrodynamic spraying techniques.
US3075115A (en) Ion source with space charge neutralization
DE19828704A1 (en) Plasma accelerator for space vehicles, increasing ion thruster motor efficiency
EP3129653B1 (en) Ion drive and method for operating an ion drive
US2219033A (en) Method and device for generating a beam of ions of high velocity
US3226592A (en) Apparatus for producing a high velocity jet consisting of a plasma of ions and electrons
US3157988A (en) Propulsion system
US3523210A (en) Gas discharge neutralizer including a charged particle source
US3846668A (en) Plasma generating device
Brewer et al. Ionic and plasma propulsion for space vehicles
US4070595A (en) Apparatus for the acceleration of ions in the virtual cathode of an intense relativistic electron beam
US3826452A (en) Electrical control device for a re-entry vehicle
US3545208A (en) Annular slit colloid thrustor
US2213140A (en) Device for generating a beam of ions of high velocity
US3286467A (en) Plural needle electrode electrostatic thrust device
US3441798A (en) Plasma gun utilizing successive arcs for generating and accelerating the plasma
US3263415A (en) Ion propulsion device
US3253402A (en) Apparatus for and method of emitting particles
SCHULTZ et al. The Colloid rocket: Progress toward a charged-liquid-colloid propulsion system
US3342404A (en) Annular electrodes in differential pumping tubes for electrostatic accelerators
Takao et al. Microfabrication of a massive emitter array for higher thrust density of ionic liquid electrospray thrusters