RU173324U1 - MEMBRANE ION ENGINE - Google Patents

Abstract

Membrane ion engine belongs to the field of special methods and devices for generating jet thrust, not assigned to other subclasses (from the use of F02K combustion products). This utility model is used to simplify the control of a rocket engine, improve its environmental qualities, specific impulse, traction, efficiency and safety. Membrane ion engines can be used by organizations, government bodies for: spaceships and other aircraft. The essence of the described device is, firstly, the possibility of using membranes for ionization, inside which the hydrogen atom decays into a proton and an electron (ionized), then protons are used in the quality of the working fluid (accelerated in the ionization chamber and ejected, creating reactive traction), and the electrons are removed from the membranes; secondly, the use of superconducting inductive energy storage devices (SPINE cooled by liquid hydrogen or liquid methane) as powerful and sufficiently long-lasting engine power sources that are sequentially discharged, heating the refrigerant from an additional tank or from already discharged SPINES, as a result of which hydrogen gas is formed under pressure, which enters the ionization chamber in the form of protons through membranes. Thus, the weight of the aircraft using the specified rocket engine can be significantly reduced, and its speed, thrust, environmental friendliness, efficiency and safety will increase.

Description

Headings of the international patent classification (IPC) of a utility model:

F03H - Special methods and devices for creating reactive thrust, not elsewhere classified (from the use of F02K combustion products).

The name of the utility model: "Membrane ion engine."

The utility model relates to electric rocket engines. The utility model can be applied in the creation of non-manned rocket vehicles, manned rocket vehicles (hereinafter referred to as “spacecraft”).

It is known from the prior art that spacecraft are currently propelled by: chemical reactive (rocket) internal combustion engines, electric rocket engines. For launch and orbit flights, chemical rocket engines (HRE) are currently used. Most refrigerators use fuel and an oxidizing agent (together - fuel), the combustion products are heated in the combustion chamber to high temperatures, expanding, accelerate in a supersonic nozzle and flow out of the engine. Liquid and solid propellant rocket engines (LRE and TRD, respectively) are common. In turbojet engines, fuel and oxidizer are stored in the form of a mixture of solids, and the fuel tank simultaneously serves as a combustion chamber. In LRE fuel and oxidizer are in the liquid state of aggregation. They are fed into the combustion chamber using a turbopump or displacement feed system. LRE allow thrust regulation over a wide range, and multiple on and off, which is especially important when maneuvering in outer space. Both types of RCDs have sufficient specific impulses for launch and orbit (up to 4500 m / s). However, for maneuvering in orbit and movement in a space vacuum, the HRE is not convenient. Fuel has a significant mass, occupies a sufficiently large volume, and is also almost always either toxic or explosive. In order to use a chemical rocket engine in orbit, it is necessary to deliver the corresponding fuel reserves into orbit. In addition, RCDs have extremely low efficiency (about 1%), since most of the chemical energy of the fuel is converted, ultimately, into thermal radiation energy.

Electric rocket engines (EREs) use electric energy as a source of energy to create traction. The separation of the energy source and the accelerated substance makes it possible to ensure a high velocity of the expiration of the working fluid (RT), as well as a smaller mass of the spacecraft due to the reduction in the mass of stored RT. This allows you to increase the payload, or to improve the mass-dimensional characteristics of the spacecraft itself. The specific impulse of the electric propulsion can reach 10000-210000 m / s. Electric propulsion can be powered by solar panels, batteries, capacitors. Due to the imperfection of the applied power sources, the thrust of the existing electric propulsion engines is not large, so the acceleration of the spacecraft is tenths or even hundredths of the acceleration of gravity. EREs are characterized by not very high efficiency - from 30 to 60%.

Ion rocket engines use ionization processes of the working fluid by electron bombardment. Further, the electrons are removed, and the ions are accelerated by a stationary electric field. The ejected ions create reactive traction. Obviously, for ionization it is necessary to inform the working body with the help of electrons the corresponding ionization energy, and for the acceleration of ions it is also necessary to spend energy on creating a potential difference. In this case, the energy sources of the ion engine are solar panels, so the power of the engines is low.

The most famous organizations creating spacecraft are: SP Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, NASA, SpaceX. These spacecraft use chemical rocket engines to launch and enter orbit and electric rocket engines to maneuver spacecraft.

The task of creating this utility model was to design such jet engines that would have a small mass, high efficiency, would be environmentally friendly, safe and easy to operate. When starting and entering orbit, these engines would use the type of RT that is optimal for flight conditions. Thus, membrane ion engines would allow: launch, entry into orbit, implementation of corrections and maneuvers of spacecraft, and would also serve to quickly cover space distances by spacecraft.

The result of using this utility model will be the appearance of spacecraft that will be quite easy to maintain, capable of traveling at high speeds over long distances, environmentally friendly, cheap to use. To solve this problem, it is necessary to implement the following significant decisions:

- calculate optimal work processes;

- design special conversion and ionization chambers;

- select the optimal working fluid to enter orbit and interact with the power source;

as well as:

- develop special power supplies for the system.

Thus, the essence of the utility model is the combination of special conversion and ionization chambers for the optimal flow of work processes, as well as the possibility of using fundamentally new power sources in rocket science.

A membrane ion engine (hereinafter referred to as “MID”) may resemble an ionic rocket engine layout and can, in principle, be created by:

- designing a special transformation chamber with heating elements;

- designing an ionization chamber equipped with special membranes, passing through which a hydrogen atom decays into a proton and an electron (ionizes); as well as:

- selection of power supplies that are optimal for a particular flight mode (superconducting inductive energy storage devices, batteries, solar panels).

As mentioned earlier, a high specific impulse of electric propulsion (10000-210000 m / s) is achieved due to the fact that ionized gas is accelerated electrostatically and is focused by a magnetic field. In this case, the density of the indicated ionized gas is low (since, firstly, the power of the power sources is limited; secondly, for the ionization of a dense gas, an arc discharge would have been required and, accordingly, the heat losses associated with such an electric current would increase). Therefore, such an engine can only be used in a vacuum and is not suitable for launching a spacecraft. It is proposed to use ionization chambers, which instead of complex electronic emitters and electron collectors would contain large areas of membranes, passing through which a hydrogen atom decays into a proton and an electron (ionized).

As you know, they try to select the working fluid for a jet engine so that it is able to receive the maximum impulse. At the same time, light particles with a high speed and heavy particles with a low speed can possess the same impulses. However, it is possible to stock more light substances, therefore it is preferable to choose a working fluid with a lower atomic mass. However, the most common working bodies of ion engines are xenon and mercury, substances with fairly heavy atoms. This is due to the fact that, firstly, these substances have low ionization energy, and secondly, in conditions of long-term operation (for which ion engines were previously designed), these substances can be easily stored and maintained; thirdly, they are inert and do not damage the ionization chamber.

Hydrogen (or rather, hydrogen nuclei — protons) was chosen as the working fluid of the membrane ion engine for the following reasons. Firstly, it is the lightest substance. Secondly, hydrogen is much cheaper than mercury and xenon. Thirdly, ionization of hydrogen (separation of atoms into protons and electrons by a membrane) can occur with lower energy costs and in large volumes. Fourth, the ionization chamber can be located inside the conversion chamber and its walls are membranes through which hydrogen diffuses without damaging the material.

When hydrogen is dissolved in metals, the following processes can occur: the formation of negatively charged hydrogen ions and, accordingly, metal hydrides with a change in the structure and type of substance (for example, the formation of lithium hydride) or the formation of positive hydrogen ions (protons) without changing the structure and type of substance ( for example, hydrogen diffusion in titanium, tantalum, palladium, vanadium, ...). It is the second of the described processes that is of interest and can be used to create a membrane ion engine.

As is known, when hydrogen passes under pressure through metal membranes of the second kind, the following processes occur successively: adsorption (“sticking” of molecules), dissociation (fragmentation of hydrogen molecules into atoms), ionization (separation of a hydrogen atom into protons and electrons), diffusion (passage of a proton crystal lattices of the membrane), the formation of atoms (reunion of protons and electrons on the other side of the membrane), recombination (reunion of atoms into molecules), desorption ("detachment" of hydrogen molecules to another hundred ONET membrane). Some of these processes are used in fuel cell technologies: when hydrogen passes through a membrane electrode, it is ionized, and the electrons, due to the created potential difference, get into the network and do some work, and then connect with oxygen atoms and protons on another electrode.

In the case of a membrane ion engine, hydrogen passing through the membrane would also decay into protons and electrons. In this case, the electrons would be removed from the membrane in a manner similar to that used in other ion engines to collect and remove electrons after the bombardment and ionization of xenon atoms in a vacuum ionization chamber. These electrons can be removed outside the spacecraft and ejected into the jet of protons created by the membrane ion engine. On the other side of the membrane, protons would appear that did not reunite with electrons, which would accelerate electrostatically (using grids with potential difference), similar to grids used in conventional ion engines or due to the Hall effect. Thus, the difference between the proposed membrane ion engine and the existing ion engines in the method of obtaining the working fluid (gas ions - protons, in our case), as well as in the density of the specified ion gas. It seems that the ionization methods used earlier (bombardment of rarefied xenon by fast electrons) are not energetically favorable and do not allow creating high pressure in the ionization chamber. So, the ionization energy of xenon is 12.13 eV or 1170.0 kJ / mol. To ionize a kilogram of this gas, it will be necessary to spend 1170 * 1000/131 = 8931 kJ = 2.4 kW * h. Ionization of hydrogen during passage through the membrane will require the following energy costs: evaporation and activation of diffusion. The specific heat of vaporization of a kilogram of hydrogen is 904 kJ = 0.24 kW * h. To dissolve a kilogram of hydrogen in vanadium, the diffusion activation energy is 45 kJ = 0.01 kW * h. Thus, the total energy costs for ionizing a kilogram of hydrogen using a membrane are only 0.25 kWh (almost 10 times less than for xenon ionization). Moreover, the passage of hydrogen through some metals (for example, palladium, tantalum) is an exothermic process (accompanied by heat), that is, the membrane itself will heat up.

It seems optimal to store hydrogen in a liquid state. However, hydrogen can also be used in a bound state, for example, in the form of liquefied methane. In both cases, both hydrogen and methane can also be used as refrigerants in superconducting inductive energy storage devices (SPINE), which (along with batteries, solar panels and other energy sources) can act as energy sources of the membrane ion engine. However, in the second case, not only evaporation will be required, but also methane decomposition in the conversion chamber in order to obtain hydrogen gas under pressure. Technologies for producing hydrogen from methane have long existed, the simplest of them is the strong heating of methane.

SPINES are closed superconducting inductors (solenoids) immersed in the refrigerant. If such a solenoid is wound on a toroidal surface, then all the lines of the magnetic field are contained inside the torus, and the scattering of the magnetic field outside the torus and its effect on any electrical devices is practically eliminated. Electric current in such coils can circulate indefinitely. SPINE stores the energy of a magnetic field.

The SPINE energy could be partially spent on the evaporation and heating of the refrigerant (liquid hydrogen or methane) entering the conversion chamber from an additional tank or coming from the previously discharged SPINE. Partially, the energy of SPINE would be spent on creating potential differences on the grids in the ionization chamber (to accelerate protons), on heating the membrane, and on removing excess electrons formed on the membrane. Thus, the very first SPINE in the process of electric discharge would heat up the supply of refrigerant (for example, hydrogen) entering the conversion chamber from an additional tank. Hydrogen in the conversion chamber would evaporate, create a certain pressure and begin to penetrate through the membrane into the ionization chamber adjacent to the conversion chamber. It would be ideal to create an ionization chamber from the membrane material and place the ionization chamber inside the conversion chamber, leaving only an exit for ions (protons). Then almost the entire area of the ionization chamber would be a membrane through which protons would pass. A different increase in the area of membranes, which are the boundary between the conversion chamber and the ionization chamber, is also possible. The membrane material may be vanadium coated with a thin palladium film. Vanadium is the metal through which protons diffuse most rapidly (through a membrane with a thickness of d = 1 mm at a temperature of T = 400 K and atmospheric pressure, hydrogen passes in just 1.2 seconds). Thin palladium spraying protects the vanadium surface from oxidation. The process of hydrogen diffusion through metals depends on the nature of the metal, wall thickness and is associated with the gas pressure and metal temperature by the following equation:

where V is the volume of diffused gas; t is the diffusion time; S is the diffusion area; a and b are constants for a given metal-gas pair; d is the wall thickness; p is the pressure at the surface of the metal into which the gas enters; T is the absolute temperature. As applied to the case of a membrane ion engine, it can be seen from the formula that the thinner the membrane, its larger the area and the higher the pressure of hydrogen in the conversion chamber, the more protons pass into the ionization chamber. Thus, increasing the surface area of the ionization chamber (it can be increased, within very large limits, without changing the volume of the chamber, creating any whimsical geometry), reducing the thickness of its walls, decreasing the volume of the ionizing chamber and increasing the pressure in the conversion chamber, it is possible to achieve a situation where the pressure protons in the ionization chamber will be higher than atmospheric pressure, especially since particles with the same charge (protons), due to Coulomb forces, will create more pressure than ordinary gas with that ie atomic mass. So, if, as already mentioned, at a temperature of 400 K, hydrogen passes through a membrane 1 mm thick in 1.2 seconds, then by creating a pressure in the conversion chamber of 700 atm, we will increase the rate of passage of this membrane to the square root of 700, or, about 26 times. This means that the membrane ion engine can work not only in space, but also ensure the launch of the spacecraft from the earth. Protons in the ionization chamber of a membrane ion engine can be dispersed in the same way as in a conventional ion engine, for example, by installing grids between which a potential difference is created. The beam of photons can, as in conventional ionic engines, be concentrated by ring magnets located in the ionization chamber (although if the ionization chamber is inside the conversion chamber and is made of membrane material, ring magnets may not be used).

After the first SPINE is discharged, its winding no longer needs refrigerant (liquid hydrogen) to transfer the winding to a superconducting state. Therefore, the refrigerant from the discharged SPINE enters the conversion chamber, where it is heated by the next SPINE during its discharge, and so on.

The refrigerant can be heated in the conversion chamber to the temperature and pressure that specific flight conditions require. If the ionization chamber is located inside the conversion chamber, heating the walls of the conversion chamber would create a double effect. First, heating the walls acting as membranes would increase the rate of proton diffusion through them. Secondly, some walls of the ionization chamber are parts of the conversion chamber, and their heating helps to transfer the injected liquid hydrogen into a gaseous state.

One of the promising superconducting materials for the manufacture of superconducting windings of a SPINE coil could be material based on yttrium cuprates (usually referred to as “YBCO”). The density of the specified substance (p) is only 6.3 g / cm ³ (6300 kg / m ³ ). The critical temperature of superconductivity (TC) of YBCO is above 100 K, the critical field (BC) can be 70-100 T and above. In the indicated superconducting material, critical current densities (Jc) of the order of 7 × 10 ^ 6 A / cm ² are currently achieved (the sign “^” hereinafter indicates the degree). The conversion chamber must be designed to withstand high internal pressures. A heating element is located inside the conversion chamber, due to which the magnetic energy stored in the SPINE or generated by solar panels is converted into heat. The current pulse from SPINE can last for a time t = L / r, where L is the inductance of the SPINE and r is the load resistance. The current pulse can also be converted, aligned or stretched by the inverter, including direct current can be converted to alternating current, if required by the selected heating element.

The heating element in the conversion chamber can be made in the form of a solenoid around the outer walls of the ionization chamber, in which the current will increase and decay gradually. The specified heating element may be made of a material having a relatively high resistance, for example, graphite.

In FIG. 1 shows a possible design diagram of a membrane ion engine.

Initially, from a hydrogen tank with liquid hydrogen (3), liquid hydrogen is supplied through a cryogenic pipe (2) to a conversion chamber (4). At the same time, voltage is supplied from the power source, in this case, one of the SPINE (1): to the heating element (5) around the ionization chamber (6), to accelerating grids in the ionization chamber (7) and to the electron emitter (8). As a result, liquid hydrogen in the conversion chamber (4) evaporates and creates pressure. Under pressure, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms (protons) penetrate the ionization chamber (6), the walls of which are made of membrane material. Further, protons are electrostatically accelerated by accelerating grids (7), on which a potential difference is formed. Electrons from the walls of the ionization chamber are removed due to the corresponding potential difference and are emitted by an electron emitter (8) into a stream of accelerated protons.

After all the liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen tank (3) has been consumed and the first SPINE is discharged, the liquid hydrogen, which was the refrigerant in this first SPINE, enters through the cryogenic pipe (2) into the conversion chamber (4) and the whole process is repeated, with the difference that now the energy of another SPINE is spent on the evaporation of hydrogen and the creation of potential differences.

Let us calculate the energy generated by SPINE from YBCO. Suppose that a superconducting toroidal coil is located in a compartment with liquid hydrogen, the diameter of the compartment is 5 m and a height of 3 m, while SPINE creates a magnetic field with an induction of 30 T. The indicated field is obviously less than Vs at a given temperature for YBCO. Then the energy of such a spin:

W = B ² * V / 2 * μ * μ ₀ = 900 * 58.875 / 2 * 1.25 * 10 ^ (- 6) = 21.195 GJ

here B is the value of magnetic induction, V is the volume of the torus, μ ₀ is the magnetic permeability (for calculations, we use the magnetic permeability of the vacuum μ ₀ = 1.25 × 10 ^ (- 6) GN / m).

The larger the torus volume, the more energy SPINE can store.

In order to estimate the mass and energy density of the SPINE from YBCO, we calculate the mass of the wire (suppose its cross section is 1 cm ² and a current flows through it with a density J = 5 * 10 ^ 6A / cm ² , obviously less than Jc) of which the SPINE winding consists. It is known that for a solenoid the magnetic field energy is also calculated by the formula:

W = L * I ^2/2, or L = 2W / I ²

where I is the current strength, L is the inductance of the solenoid. The inductance of a toroidal solenoid is also calculated by the formula:

L = μ ₀ * (Dd) * h * n ² / (D + d),

where n is the number of turns of the solenoid, D and d are the outer and inner diameters of the torus, respectively, h is the height of the torus. In our case, the torus occupies the entire cylindrical compartment, then the inner diameter of the torus d tends to zero, hence:

L = μ ₀ * h * n ² , hence: n ² = L / μ * h or through the energy W:

n ² = 2W / I ² * μ ₀ * h = 2 * 21.195 * 10 ^ 9/25 * 10 ^ 12 * 1.25 * 10 ^ (- 6) * 3 = 12.7

Substituting the already known values into the above formula, we obtain that the number of turns of n is approximately 12. In the case of a torus with a rectangular section, the length of each turn of the torus is equal to the sum of the lengths of the sides (a and b) of its section:

2a + 2b = 2 * 2.5 + 2 * 3 = 11 m

Only 12 turns, then the length of all turns of the torus is approximately 11 * 12 = 132 m. Then, the volume of the superconducting wire is equal to the product of its cross section by its length: 0.0001 * 132 = 0.0132 m ³ . Multiplying the resulting volume by the density of YBCO (6300 kg / m ³ ), we obtain the approximate mass of the superconducting wire: 83.16 kg.

The previously calculated energy is spent on the evaporation of hydrogen, creating a potential difference on the grids of the ionization chamber and on the electron emitter. The specific heat of hydrogen evaporation is 904 kJ / kg. The specified compartment with a superconducting wire can be completely filled m = V * p = 4121.25 kg of liquid hydrogen. Thus, in order to evaporate all the hydrogen in the compartment with SPINE, it is necessary 4121.25 * 904 = 3.72 GJ of SPINE energy. The remaining 17.475 GJ of energy can be spent on creating potential differences on the grids of the ionization chamber and on removing electrons from the membranes of the ionization chamber.

It seems that the lighter a charged particle is, the less energy will be required to accelerate it. The mass of a proton exceeds the mass of an electron by almost a thousand times. Consequently, the energy required for the removal of electrons from the membranes and their removal by the emitter into a stream of accelerated protons can be neglected in the fundamental calculations and it can be assumed that the remaining energy is spent on creating a potential difference on the accelerating networks in the ionization chamber.

In order to estimate the potential difference on accelerating grids, we use the formula relating energy, voltage and current strength W = U * I * t. Then the voltage can be determined by the formula:

U = W / (I * t). If the SPINE circuit is opened and simultaneously connected to the grids in the ionization chamber, then a negative charge will appear on one grid and a positive one on the other. In existing ion engines on accelerating grids, a potential difference of 1.3 kV is created. Although, in the case of a membrane ion engine, to accelerate protons to the same speed as positively charged xenon ions, a much smaller potential difference will be required (due to the fact that the proton mass is 131 times less than the mass of the xenon core), we calculate how long the charge of the grids will be required. From the already mentioned formula U = W / (I * t) we obtain t = W / (U * I) = 2.7 seconds.

The utility model can be materialized by creating a membrane ion motor with power sources in the form of a SPINE in the form of toroidal coils (for example, from YBCO), which make it possible to accumulate and store an electric current of the order of 5 * 10 ^ 6 A / cm ² . SPINEs will be placed in refrigerant compartments (for example, in liquid hydrogen). SPINE are connected by means of inverters and electronically controlled electrical keys to a heating element located in the conversion chamber. Refrigerant (hydrogen) enters the conversion chamber from a hydrogen tank or compartments with discharged SPINE through a cryogenic pipe, which is heated and evaporates, creating pressure. Then, hydrogen enters the membranes, where its atoms decay into electrons and protons (ionization). Electrons are removed from the membranes by electron emitters, which emit them into the proton jet behind the membrane ion engine. Protons are emitted on the other side of the membranes and, with the help of potential difference networks, they accelerate and are ejected through the nozzle of the membrane ion engine.

1. SPINE (superconducting inductive energy storage). It can be a toroidal solenoid made of a superconducting material (for example, YBCO). SPINE can be closed by means of superconducting electronic keys and connected using the same keys and inverters or only using these keys with a heating element, accelerator grids, an electron emitter. Each SPINE is located in a cryogenic compartment. Cryogenic compartments can be made of the same materials that are used in the manufacture of some cryogenic plants (for example, galvanized steel). Inside the cryogenic compartment contains refrigerant (for example, liquid hydrogen), which is also a working fluid. The cryogenic compartment is connected to the cryogenic pipe through which the working fluid (refrigerant) is pumped into the transformation chamber.

2. The cryogenic refrigerant pipe may have double steel walls separated by vacuum. The pipe is connected to the valve (or valves) of the cryogenic compartments, through which the refrigerant is absorbed by the pump inside the pipe and enters through the valve into the conversion chamber.

3. The hydrogen tank for storing liquid hydrogen can be made of steel or aluminum, reinforced with carbon. The hydrogen tank is connected through a valve to a cryogenic pipe.

4. The conversion chamber can be made of galvanized aluminum reinforced with carbon. The conversion chamber may be connected to a cryogenic pipe. Inside the transformation chamber there is an ionization chamber and a heating element.

5. The heating element may be a spiral around the ionization chamber made of a refractory material (for example, tungsten) coated with a material in which hydrogen is not soluble, for example, zinc.

6. The ionization chamber is located inside the transformation chamber. The ionization chamber has a maximum area with a minimum volume for such an area and external pressure. The ionization chamber is made of a material that transmits hydrogen nuclei (protons), for example, vanadium coated with a palladium film. Around the ionization chamber is a spiral of the heating element. Accelerating grids are located inside the ionization chamber and there may be circular focusing magnets. The ionization chamber is connected to the nozzle.

7. Accelerating nets are located inside the ionization chamber at the nozzle. They are made of materials that conduct electricity well, coated with metals that do not absorb hydrogen, such as zinc.

8. The electron emitter is connected to the ionization chamber and can be an electron gun, where the cathode subjected to heating is located outside the spacecraft. The anode accelerates the electrons and directs them into a stream of protons, accelerated by accelerating grids and ejected from the membrane ion engine.

When starting an ionic membrane from a hydrogen tank with liquid hydrogen, liquid hydrogen is supplied through a cryogenic pipe to the conversion chamber. Voltage is supplied from the first SPINE: to the heating element and to the accelerating grids in the ionization chamber, as well as to the electron emitter. Liquid hydrogen in the conversion chamber evaporates and creates pressure. Under pressure, the protons penetrate the ionization chamber. After this, the protons are accelerated by accelerating grids. Electrons from the walls of the ionization chamber are removed and emitted by an electron emitter into a stream of accelerated protons. After all the liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen tank has been consumed and the first SPINE is discharged, the liquid hydrogen, which was the refrigerant in this first SPINE, enters the conversion chamber through a cryogenic pipe and the whole process repeats, with the difference that now the energy of another SPINE spent on the evaporation of hydrogen and the creation of potential differences.

Thus, the utility model "Membrane ion engine" allows you to create a rocket engine, which is quite easy to manage, lightweight, environmentally friendly, safe and cheap to operate and has high efficiency.

Claims (3)

1. A membrane ion engine (MID) containing a conversion chamber in which the heating element is located, an ionization chamber having a membrane wall, passing through which hydrogen molecules decay into atoms, then hydrogen atoms leave electrons on the membrane surface that are forcibly removed from membrane surface; and protons pass through the membrane, are forced to accelerate and are ejected, creating reactive thrust, and an electron emitter, characterized in that the sources of MFA electricity are superconducting inductive energy storage devices (SPINE). 2. The membrane ion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the SPINE are immersed in a refrigerant of liquid hydrogen, which is used for heating in the conversion chamber and ionization using membranes. 3. The membrane ion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the SPINE are immersed in a refrigerant of liquid methane, which is used to heat and produce hydrogen in the hydrogen conversion and ionization chamber using membranes.

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