Launch vehicle and system and method for economically efficient launch thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10202209-B2
Application number	US-201715852815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a launch system, a launch vehicle for use with the launch system, and methods of launching a payload utilizing the launch vehicle and/or the launch system. The disclosure can provide for delivery of the payload at a terrestrial location, an Earth orbital location, or an extraorbital location. The launch vehicle can comprise a payload, a propellant tank, an electrical heater wherein propellant, such as a light gas (e.g., hydrogen) is electrically heated to significantly high temperatures, an exhaust nozzle from which the heated propellant expands to provide an exhaust velocity of, for example, 7-16 km/sec, and sliding electrical contacts in electrical connection with the electrical heater. The launch vehicle can be utilized with the launch system, which can further comprise a launch tube formed of concentric electrically conductive tubes, as well as an electrical energy source, such as a battery bank and associated inductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A launch system comprising:
a launch tube comprising a plurality of conductive layers separated by one or more insulating layers and being configured for transmission of energy therethrough; and
an electrical energy source;
wherein the launch tube is configured for propulsion of a launch vehicle therethrough, and the launch system is configured to be electroantimagnetic.

2. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy source comprises a battery bank.

3. The launch system according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical energy source further comprises an inductor.

4. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the launch tube is configured to be electroantimagnetic such that any magnetic field formed by passage therethrough of an electrical current of about 0.2 to about 2 million amps is at a strength of less than about 1.25 Tesla.

5. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the launch tube comprises an inner electrically conductive tube and an outer electrically conductive tube separated by a coaxial insulator tube.

6. The launch system according to claim 5 , wherein the inner electrically conductive tube comprises one or more slotted tracks extending at least partially along the length thereof, and wherein the one or more slotted tracks are configured to receive sliding contacts present on the launch vehicle.

7. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the launch tube comprises two electrically conductive tubes and two insulator tubes.

8. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the launch tube is configured for propulsion of a launch vehicle comprising:
a payload container;
a propellant tank containing a propellant;
an electrical heater that is separate from the propellant tank, the electrical heater being in fluid connection with the propellant tank and being adapted for electrical heating of the propellant received from the propellant tank to form an exiting exhaust; and
one or more sliding electrical contacts configured to direct flow of electrical current from the electrical energy source to the electrical heater.

9. The launch system according to claim 8 , wherein the electrical heater is a resistive heater.

10. The launch system according to claim 9 , wherein the resistive heater comprises at least one electrically heated porous cylinder inside a containment vessel.

11. The launch system according to claim 10 , wherein the launch vehicle comprises one or more of the following features:
the electrically heated porous cylinder comprises carbon walls that optionally include a coating material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten, hafnium carbide, and combinations thereof;
the electrically heated porous cylinder is a transpiring tungsten-containing cylinder; and
the resistive heater comprises a discharge port in fluid communication with a chamber that is internal to the containment vessel and external to the electrically heated porous cylinder.

12. The launch system according to claim 8 , wherein the electrical heater is an arc heater.

13. The launch system according to claim 12 , wherein the arc heater comprises a swirl chamber within a containment vessel.

14. The launch system according to claim 13 , wherein one or more of the following conditions is met:
the containment vessel comprises transpiration cooled walls;
the swirl chamber is configured to establish a swirl stabilized electrical vortex arc; or
the arc heater comprises coaxial electrical terminals spaced apart by the swirl chamber.

15. The launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the launch tube has an outer radius and an inner radius, and wherein a ratio of the outer radius to the inner radius is about 1.4 to about 10.

16. A method for launching a payload, the method comprising: providing a launch system comprising:
a launch tube comprising a plurality of conductive layers
configured for transmission of energy therethrough; and an electrical energy source; and
accelerating a launch vehicle through the launch tube to a velocity of at least about 2,000 meters per second (m/s) with an acceleration force of about 2 to about 2,000 G′s while limiting a magnetic field within the launch tube to no more than about 2 Tesla.

17. The method according to claim 16 , comprising providing an electrical current of about 0.2 amps to about 2 million amps through the at least one tube configured for transmission of energy therethrough.

Assignees

• 8 Rivers Capital Llc

Inventors

• Palmer Miles R

Classifications

• B64G1/002 Primary

  Launch systems · CPC title

• B64G1/00 Primary

  Cosmonautic vehicles · CPC title

• F41B6/00

  Electromagnetic launchers {; Plasma-actuated launchers (projectiles for electromagnetic or plasma guns F42B6/006)} · CPC title

• F42C11/04

  with current induction · CPC title

• F02K9/95

  characterised by starting or ignition means or arrangements (safety devices F02K9/38) · CPC title