System and method for lift augmentation of atmospheric entry vehicles during aerocapture and entry, descent, and landing maneuvers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12125636-B2
Application number	US-202217727009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow control mechanism is described which substantially improves the existing processes in that smaller magnetic fields, requiring far less mass, are placed away from the forebody of the spacecraft to produce Lorentz forces that augment the lift and the drag forces for guidance, navigation, and control of the spacecraft.

First claim

We claim:

1. A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow control system for use with an aeroshell of a spacecraft comprising:
a first pair of electrodes configured for placement on a first predetermined portion of an outward facing surface of the aeroshell;
a second pair of electrodes stacked on the first pair of electrodes, wherein individual electrodes from each of the first and second pair of electrodes partially overlap; and
a magnet configured for placement on a second predetermined portion of an inward facing surface of the aeroshell.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is selected from the group consisting of a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are formed of at least one of tungsten and a tungsten alloy.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of electrodes is rotatable around a central axis by a control mechanism.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises the aeroshell, and the aeroshell is a blunt-body aeroshell.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between each individual electrode in the first pair of electrodes is between 0 and 1 m.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to encompasses approximately 1 m 2 of said aeroshell.

8. An aeroshell for use with a spacecraft comprising:
a blunt-body configuration; and
at least one magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow control patch for producing Lorentz forces that augment lift and the drag forces for assisting with at least one of guidance, navigation, and control of the spacecraft, the at least one MHD flow control patch including,
a first pair of electrodes placed on a first predetermined portion of an outward facing surface of the aeroshell;
a magnet placed on a second predetermined portion of an inward facing surface of the aeroshell, wherein the first predetermined portion and the second predetermined portion at least partially overlap on opposing surfaces of the aeroshell; and
a second pair of electrodes stacked on the first pair of electrodes, wherein individual electrodes from each of the first pair of electrodes and the second pair of electrodes at least partially overlap.

9. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet.

10. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein the electrodes are formed of at least one of tungsten and a tungsten alloy.

11. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein a distance between each individual electrode in the first pair of electrodes is between 0 and 1 m.

12. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein the at least one MHD flow control patch encompasses approximately 1 m 2 of the aeroshell.

13. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.

14. The aeroshell of claim 13 , wherein the electrodes are formed of at least one of tungsten and a tungsten alloy.

15. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein a distance between each individual electrode in the first pair of electrodes is between 0 and 1 m and wherein the at least one MHD flow control patch encompasses approximately 1 m 2 of the aeroshell.

16. The aeroshell of claim 15 , wherein the electrodes are formed of at least one of tungsten and a tungsten alloy.

17. The aeroshell of claim 8 , wherein the first pair of electrodes is rotatable around a central axis by a control mechanism.

Assignees

• Nasa

Inventors

• Moses Robert W
• Cheatwood Foy M
• Johnston Christopher O
• Macheret Sergey
• Parent Bernard
• Little Justin

Classifications

• B64G1/62

  Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices · CPC title

• B64G1/623

  Retarding devices, e.g. retrorockets · CPC title

• B64G1/2421

  Aerobraking · CPC title

• H01F7/02

  Permanent magnets {[PM]} · CPC title

• H01F7/20

  without armatures (cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 {; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381}) · CPC title