Converging/diverging magnetic nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200458-A1
Application number	US-201414914056-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A magnetic nozzle having a converging/diverging contour shape that converts the thermal energy of a propellant into directed kinetic energy, but uses magnetic fields instead of a physical boundary to direct the flow of particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nozzle member for accelerating a particle therethrough, said nozzle member comprising:
a convergent section having an entrance for receiving the particle, said convergent section defining a first operational boundary thereabout; a throat section being disposed downstream of said convergent section, said throat section defining a second operational boundary thereabout, said second operational boundary being less than said first operational boundary; a divergent section being disposed downstream of said throat section for outputting the particle, said divergent section defining a third operational boundary thereabout, said third operational boundary being greater than said second operational boundary; and a magnetic field system outputting magnetic field lines about at least said throat section whereby said magnetic field lines restrict movement of the particle thereby defining said second operational boundary, wherein said convergent section, said throat section, and said divergent section collectively receive and accelerate the particle from said entrance to said exit.

2 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic field system comprises permanent magnets.

3 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic field system comprises at least two dissimilar, radially magnetized, annular permanent magnets.

4 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein a location of a maximum value of said magnetic field lines represents said throat section.

5 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein the particle is a fluid.

6 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein the particle is a charged particle.

7 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein the particle is a plasma.

8 . The nozzle member according to claim 1 wherein the particle is a magnetorheological fluid.

9 . A nozzle system for accelerating a particle therethrough, said nozzle member comprising:
a propellant tank having a propellant, a plasma liner receiving said propellant from said propellant tank and outputting plasma; a helicon, inductive or capacitive antenna surrounding said plasma liner and RF coupling said plasma; at least a pair of radially-disposed permanent magnets surrounding said plasma liner, said at least a pair of radially-disposed permanent magnets outputting a magnetic field defining a convergent section, a throat section downstream of said convergent section, and divergent section downstream of said throat section for accelerating a particle within said plasma, said convergent section having an entrance for receiving the particle, said convergent section defining a first operational boundary thereabout, said throat section defining a second operational boundary thereabout, said second operational boundary being less than said first operational boundary, said divergent section defining a third operational boundary thereabout, said third operational boundary being greater than said second operational boundary, said convergent section, said throat section, and said divergent section collectively receive and accelerate the particle from said entrance to said exit.

10 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein said magnetic field system comprises at least two dissimilar, radially magnetized, annular permanent magnets.

11 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein a location of a maximum value of said magnetic field lines represents said throat section.

12 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein the particle is a fluid.

13 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein the particle is a charged particle.

14 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein the particle is a plasma.

15 . The nozzle system according to claim 9 wherein the particle is a magnetorheological fluid.

Assignees

• Univ Michigan

Inventors

• Longmier Benjamin
• Sheehan John Patrick

Classifications

• F03H1/0093 Primary

  Electro-thermal plasma thrusters, i.e. thrusters heating the particles in a plasma (resistojets per se B64G1/415) · CPC title

• B64G1/413

  Ion or plasma engines · CPC title

• B64G1/405 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/402

  Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants · CPC title