Use of a novel type of propellant for electric propulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025034444-A1
Application number	US-202218718964-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 17, 2021
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF 6 ) may be used as a propellant in an electric thruster. An electric thrusters may be propelled with a propellant including such depleted uranium hexafluoride, e.g., in a range of from 0.2 and 0.4% of 235 U. The propelling with such a propellant may be conducted in outer space. The propelling may include producing cations and anions without two distinct propellants. The propelling may include, for example, a changing orbit, reorienting a satellite, interplanetary journeying, and/or avoiding an object in space.

First claim

1 . A propellant suitable for an electric thruster, the propellant comprising:
depleted uranium hexafluoride.

2 . The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the electric thruster is a space electric thruster.

3 . The propellant of claim 1 , wherein the depleted uranium hexafluoride comprises 235 U in a range of from 0.2 to 0.4 wt. %.

4 . The propellant of claim 1 , having more thrust at fixed power than xenon propellant.

5 . The propellant of claim 1 , which does not comprise two distinct propellants.

6 . The propellant of claim 1 , which does not comprise krypton.

7 . The propellant of claim 1 , which does not comprise xenon.

8 . The propellant of claim 1 , which does not comprise xenon or krypton.

9 . The propellant of claim 1 , which does not comprise diode, magnesium, or zinc.

10 . A method of operating an electric thruster, the method comprising:
propelling the electric thruster with a propellant comprising depleted uranium hexafluoride.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the electric thruster is a space electric thruster.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the propelling is conducted in outer space.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the propelling comprises producing cations and anions without two distinct propellants.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the propelling comprises a changing orbit, reorienting a satellite, interplanetary journeying, and/or avoiding an object in space.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Lemaire Pascal

Classifications

• C01G43/063

  Hexafluoride (UF6) · CPC title

• C09K3/30 Primary

  for aerosols (aerosol containers B65D83/14) · CPC title

• F03H1/0006 Primary

  Details applicable to different types of plasma thrusters (arrangements specially adapted for fitting plasma engines in or to cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/413) · CPC title