GB2229865A - Electrical propulsion unit for spacecraft - Google Patents
Electrical propulsion unit for spacecraft Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2229865A GB2229865A GB8825470A GB8825470A GB2229865A GB 2229865 A GB2229865 A GB 2229865A GB 8825470 A GB8825470 A GB 8825470A GB 8825470 A GB8825470 A GB 8825470A GB 2229865 A GB2229865 A GB 2229865A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- electrical
- propulsion unit
- end section
- electrical energy
- waveguide
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 230000035699 permeability Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000000644 propagated effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 241001464057 Electroma Species 0.000 claims 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001902 propagating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910000859 α-Fe Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F03H—PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F03H99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Control Of Motors That Do Not Use Commutators (AREA)
Abstract
A unit which will generate thrust when provided with electrical energy at the appropriate frequency. This will enable the orbit of a spacecraft to be maintained or changed when applied over a period of time. The thrust is generated as a result of the difference in the forces obtained when electromagnetic waves are reflected at the end walls 3 and 5 of a resonant waveguide assembly. This assembly comprises an air or vacuum filled end section 1 together with a transition section 6 and an end section 8 containing an electrical material 7. <IMAGE>
Description
ELECTRICAL PROPULSION UNIT FOR SPACECRAFT
This invention relates to an electrical propulsion unit for use on spacecraft.
Electrical propulsion is used for maintaining or changing the orbits of spacecraft by applying low levels of thrust over long periods of time.
According to the present invention there is provided a unit which will generate thrust when supplied with electrical energy at the appropriate freouency. The electrical energy will cause electromagnetic waves to be propagated in the unit which comprises a resonant waveguide assembly. The assembly includes both an air or vacuum filled end section and an end section containing an electrical material. The force resulting from reflections of the guided electrompRnetic waves in the end section containing the electrical material will be greater than the force resulting from reflections in the air or vacuum filled end section. The difference between these forces will give rise to a resultant thrust on the unit.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described b,y way of example with reference to the accompanyins drawing,
Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of the propulsion unit.
Electrical energy of apnropriate frequency is coupled into an air or vacuum filled end section of waveguide I by means of a slot or probe 2 depending on the required interface with the energy source. This energy propagates along the waveguide as an electromagnetic wave and is reflected at one end of the air or vacuum filled section by an end wall 3. Reflection of the electromagnetic wave causes a force to be produced on the end wall 3 in the direction of the arrow 4.The electromanietic wave also prpaga,tes towards the other end tsall 5 via a transition section 6, cont?.ining a shaped element 7 mrde of an electrical material.
This electrical material will have a relative permeability higher than unity or a. relative permittivity higher than unity or both relative permeability and relative permittivity higher than unity. The electrical material will also exhibit low electrical losses. Such an electrical material may be selected from dielectric resonator materials or from ferrite materials.
After propagating along the transition section, the electromagnetic wave enters an end section 8, filled with the electrical material and terminated with an end wall 5. The transition section will be of sufficient length and will contain a suitably shaped element, to enable propagation of the electromagnetic wave to be transferred from the end section 1 to the end section 8, or from the end section 8 to the end section 1, without causing significant reflections of the electromagnetic wave.
The electromapetic wave is reflected at the end wall 5 and produces a force on the end wall 5 in the direction of the arrow 9. This force is greater than the force at the end wall 3 by a factor dependent on the relative permea.bility and relative permittivity of the electrical material. The difference in the forces exerted on the tvo end walls 3 and 5 will give rise to a resultant force on the propulsion unit in the direction of the arrow 9.
The overall length of the three sections of waveguide 1, 6 and 8 will be a multinle of half the effective wavelength of the applied electrical energy, to enable a resonant state to be established.
The total resultant force due to the multiple reflections will be increased by a factor dependent on the electrical losses occurring in the wavezaide assembly
The thrust generated by the unit, due to the total resultant foroes, produced as described, can be transmitted to a spacecraft by mech- anically fixing the unit together with its source of electrical energy, to the spacecraft structure.
Claims (6)
1 An electrical propulsion unit which will generate thrust when supplied with electrical energy at the appropriate frequency. The electrical energy will cause electroma.gnetic waves to be propagated in the unit which comprises a resonant waveguide assembly. The assembly incloses both an air or vacuum filled end section pnd an end section containing an electrical material. The force resulting from reflections of the guided electromagnetic waves in the end section containing the electrical material will be greater than the force resulting from reflections in the air or vacuum filled end section. The difference between these forces will give rise to a resultant thrust on the unit.
2 An electrical propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 1 with a means of coupling electrical energy of the appropriate frequency into the waveguide assembly. Such 2 means could be a slot in the waveguide wall or a probe inserted into the waveguide.
3 An electrical propulsion unit as claimed in claim 1 or
Claim 2 which includes a transition section of sufficient length and containing a shaped element to enable transfer of the electromagnetic wave between end sections without causing significent reflections of the electromagnetic wave.
4 An electrical propulsion unit as claimed in any preceding claim which includes an end section and a transition section containing electrical material whose relative permeability or relative permittivity or both have values greater than unity, and whose electrical losses are low at the freauency of the applied electrical energy.
5 An electrical propulsion unit as claimed in any preceding claim whose overall electrical length within the waveguide assembly is a multiple of half the effective wavelength of the applied electrical energy, resulting in a waveguide assembly which is resonant at the freouency of the applied electrical energy.
6 An electrical propulsion unit substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing Figure 1.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8825470A GB2229865B (en) | 1988-11-01 | 1988-11-01 | Electrical propulsion unit for spacecraft |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8825470A GB2229865B (en) | 1988-11-01 | 1988-11-01 | Electrical propulsion unit for spacecraft |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8825470D0 GB8825470D0 (en) | 1988-12-07 |
| GB2229865A true GB2229865A (en) | 1990-10-03 |
| GB2229865B GB2229865B (en) | 1993-05-05 |
Family
ID=10646069
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8825470A Expired - Fee Related GB2229865B (en) | 1988-11-01 | 1988-11-01 | Electrical propulsion unit for spacecraft |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2229865B (en) |
Cited By (12)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2334761A (en) * | 1998-04-29 | 1999-09-01 | Roger John Shawyer | Microwave thruster for spacecraft |
| GB2399601A (en) * | 2003-03-13 | 2004-09-22 | Roger John Shawyer | Thrust producing device using microwaves |
| WO2005121553A3 (en) * | 2004-06-14 | 2006-01-26 | Preez Johannes Jacobus Du | Shock wave propulsion system |
| CN102435872A (en) * | 2011-09-06 | 2012-05-02 | 航天东方红卫星有限公司 | Method for verifying radiation electromagnetic compatibility of electric propulsion system and satellite |
| GB2493361A (en) * | 2011-08-01 | 2013-02-06 | Roger John Shawyer | A high Q microwave radiation thruster |
| GB2551013A (en) * | 2016-04-01 | 2017-12-06 | Quaw M'dimoir | Remotely powered propulsion system |
| DE102016013909A1 (en) * | 2016-11-22 | 2018-05-24 | Hans-Walter Hahn | EM Resonator Wave Propulsion Electromagnetic |
| DE102016224816A1 (en) * | 2016-12-13 | 2018-06-14 | Universität Stuttgart | Method and device for position control of a spacecraft |
| US10006446B2 (en) | 2015-01-07 | 2018-06-26 | James Wayne Purvis | Electromagnetic segmented-capacitor propulsion system |
| US10135323B2 (en) | 2016-03-08 | 2018-11-20 | James Wayne Purvis | Capacitive-discharge electromagnetic propulsion system |
| US10513353B2 (en) | 2019-01-09 | 2019-12-24 | James Wayne Purvis | Segmented current magnetic field propulsion system |
| FR3089573A1 (en) | 2018-12-06 | 2020-06-12 | Anywaves | ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPELLER AND METHOD FOR DESIGNING SUCH AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPELLER |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1521327A (en) * | 1974-11-16 | 1978-08-16 | Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm | High-frequency plasma drive |
-
1988
- 1988-11-01 GB GB8825470A patent/GB2229865B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1521327A (en) * | 1974-11-16 | 1978-08-16 | Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm | High-frequency plasma drive |
Cited By (18)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2334761A (en) * | 1998-04-29 | 1999-09-01 | Roger John Shawyer | Microwave thruster for spacecraft |
| GB2334761B (en) * | 1998-04-29 | 2000-04-19 | Roger John Shawyer | Microwave thruster for spacecraft |
| GB2399601A (en) * | 2003-03-13 | 2004-09-22 | Roger John Shawyer | Thrust producing device using microwaves |
| GB2399601B (en) * | 2003-03-13 | 2006-03-01 | Roger John Shawyer | High thrust microwave engine |
| WO2005121553A3 (en) * | 2004-06-14 | 2006-01-26 | Preez Johannes Jacobus Du | Shock wave propulsion system |
| GB2493361B (en) * | 2011-08-01 | 2017-09-06 | John Shawyer Roger | High Q microwave radiation thruster |
| GB2493361A (en) * | 2011-08-01 | 2013-02-06 | Roger John Shawyer | A high Q microwave radiation thruster |
| CN102435872B (en) * | 2011-09-06 | 2014-07-02 | 航天东方红卫星有限公司 | Method for verifying radiation electromagnetic compatibility of electric propulsion system and satellite |
| CN102435872A (en) * | 2011-09-06 | 2012-05-02 | 航天东方红卫星有限公司 | Method for verifying radiation electromagnetic compatibility of electric propulsion system and satellite |
| US10006446B2 (en) | 2015-01-07 | 2018-06-26 | James Wayne Purvis | Electromagnetic segmented-capacitor propulsion system |
| US10135323B2 (en) | 2016-03-08 | 2018-11-20 | James Wayne Purvis | Capacitive-discharge electromagnetic propulsion system |
| GB2551013A (en) * | 2016-04-01 | 2017-12-06 | Quaw M'dimoir | Remotely powered propulsion system |
| DE102016013909A1 (en) * | 2016-11-22 | 2018-05-24 | Hans-Walter Hahn | EM Resonator Wave Propulsion Electromagnetic |
| DE102016013909B4 (en) | 2016-11-22 | 2021-08-05 | Hans-Walter Hahn | Structure of an electromagnetic resonator system |
| DE102016224816A1 (en) * | 2016-12-13 | 2018-06-14 | Universität Stuttgart | Method and device for position control of a spacecraft |
| DE102016224816B4 (en) * | 2016-12-13 | 2021-06-17 | Universität Stuttgart | Method and device for attitude control of a spacecraft |
| FR3089573A1 (en) | 2018-12-06 | 2020-06-12 | Anywaves | ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPELLER AND METHOD FOR DESIGNING SUCH AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPELLER |
| US10513353B2 (en) | 2019-01-09 | 2019-12-24 | James Wayne Purvis | Segmented current magnetic field propulsion system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8825470D0 (en) | 1988-12-07 |
| GB2229865B (en) | 1993-05-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19971101 |