Micro-propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515817-B2
Application number	US-202318238249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2023
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A thruster has a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is a plasma source that outputs a plasma. The second stage is an accelerator. In one embodiment, the second stage is a plasma accelerator that accelerates the plasma. In another embodiment, the second stage is an ion accelerator that accelerates the ions from the plasma.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A thruster comprising:
a plasma source having a plasma source distal end that emits plasma; an accelerator having an accelerator proximal end and an accelerator distal end, said accelerator proximal end aligned with and positioned near the plasma source distal end to receive the plasma and accelerate the plasma; a gap between the accelerator proximal end and the plasma source distal end; a magnet positioned about a distal end of said plasma source proximal end of said accelerator, and a power source providing a pulsed power signal to said magnet, said plasma source, said accelerator, a screen grid and an accelerator grid to reduce power consumption of said thruster.

2 . The thruster of claim 1 , said accelerator made of conductive material and having a symmetrical shape, said accelerator further having an inlet opening at the accelerator proximal end and an outlet opening at the accelerator distal end, the inlet opening receiving the plasma from said plasma source distal end and said accelerator accelerating the plasma out through the outlet opening.

3 . The thruster of claim 1 , wherein said accelerator controls current distribution to accelerate ions and electrons in the plasma.

4 . The thruster of claim 1 , wherein said thruster can be utilized on a CubeSat.

5 . The thruster of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic core positioned about the accelerator.

6 . The thruster of claim 1 , further comprising a current passing through a metal cone, wherein said magnet provides a magnetic field that with the current induces a force that accelerates the plasma.

7 . The thruster of claim 1 , further comprising a power source providing a pulsed power signal to said plasma source and said accelerator to reduce power consumption of said thruster.

8 . The thruster of claim 1 , further comprising:
a metal cone having a cone proximal end aligned with the plasma source, said metal cone produces current in a radial direction, said metal cone having an input that receives the plasma and a cone distal end; a screen grid positioned adjacent the cone distal end and having one or more screen grid openings, said screen grid positively charged to repel ions between the one or more screen grid openings; and an accelerator grid positioned adjacent the screen grid and having one or more accelerator grid openings, said accelerator grid negatively charged to attract ions between the screen grid openings and accelerate the ions through the accelerator grid openings.

9 . The thruster of claim 8 , wherein the screen grid and the accelerator grid comprise metal plates.

10 . The thruster of claim 8 , wherein said accelerator grid has a negative charge that is substantially greater than the positive charge of the screen grid.

11 . The thruster of claim 8 , wherein the screen grid openings are larger than the accelerator grid openings.

12 . The thruster of claim 8 , wherein said thruster can be utilized on a CubeSat.

13 . The thruster of claim 8 , further comprising a magnet positioned about a distal end of said plasma source and a proximal end of said metal cone.

14 . The thruster of claim 8 , further comprising a power source providing a pulsed power signal to said plasma source, said metal cone, said screen grid and said accelerator grid to reduce power consumption of said thruster.

15 . The thruster of claim 8 , wherein the screen grid and the accelerator grid are planar and substantially parallel to one another.

16 . The thruster of claim 15 , wherein the screen grid is separated from the accelerator grid by a predefined distance.

Assignees

• Univ George Washington

Inventors

• Keidar Michael
• Kolbeck Jonathan
• Zolotukhin Denis

Classifications

• B64G1/10 Primary

  Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles (space shuttles B64G1/14) · CPC title

• B64G1/413

  Ion or plasma engines · CPC title

• F03H1/0081

  Electromagnetic plasma thrusters · CPC title

• F03H1/0037

  Electrostatic ion thrusters · CPC title

• H05H1/54 Primary

  Plasma accelerators · CPC title