RU2304068C2 - Spacecraft with electric rocket engine "betalyot" - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: rocketry and space engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed spacecraft has case, power plant and unit for forming directional flux of charged particles in form of high-energy electrons radiated by electron gun. Spacecraft case is surrounded by light conducting hood. Provision is made for modification of electron gun. Spacecraft may be provided with several electron guns. During operation, electrons accelerated to high energies are radiated to space through hole in electron gun anode, thus creating the reactive thrust. As a result, spacecraft case receives positive charge which is distributed over hood surface. This charge is neutralized by external electrons at definite degree. Electric rocket engine of spacecraft uses agent in form of plasma which is available in space and/or is specially created.

EFFECT: enhanced efficiency.

4 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of rocket and space technology.

Spaceships with electric rocket engines (EREs) are known that emit a stream of high-energy particles, usually positive ions or microparticles, into space to create reactive thrust (see, for example: O.N. FAVORSKIY and others. Fundamentals of the theory of space electric propulsion systems. "Higher School." M., 1970. S. 16-17, 23, 25).

The disadvantage of such ships is that the entire supply of matter emitted into outer space to create traction must be taken to the ship before it starts, which makes the starting mass of the ship increase.

In order to overcome this drawback, the present invention proposes a spacecraft with electric propulsion that uses a substance in the form of a plasma (with a sufficiently high density of free electrons) located (and / or specially created) in outer space to create reactive thrust.

This goal is achieved by the fact that in the proposed spacecraft with electric propulsion, consisting of a ship’s hull, a power plant and a device that generates a directed stream of charged particles, the specified stream of charged particles consists of high-energy electrons emitted by an electron gun, and a light electrically conductive umbrella is made around the ship’s hull .

In a preferred embodiment, the hole in the anode of the electron gun, designed to exit high-energy electrons, can be closed by a shutter that easily passes high-energy electrons from the electron gun and does not allow low-energy gas molecules into the electron gun.

The electron gun can be made with several anodes located along the movement of the electron flow and creating a traveling wave with a relatively low alternating voltage on them.

The electron gun can be equipped with a deflecting system that changes the direction of the electron flow, or several electronic guns can be used on the ship, which change their power under the action of the control signal.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, which schematically shows a spaceship in section.

The spacecraft consists of the hull of the ship 1, the power plant 2, the electron gun 3 and the light conductive umbrella 4.

When the power plant 2 of the ship operates, two voltages are generated: one low to heat the cathode of the electron gun (or several guns) 3 and the second high to accelerate the electrons in the interelectrode space of the electron gun (guns).

Electrons 5 accelerated to high energies through a hole in the anode (s) of one or more electron guns are emitted into outer space, creating a jet propulsion.

The hull of the ship 1 thus receives a positive charge, which is distributed over the surface of the umbrella 4. This charge is neutralized to the necessary extent by external electrons 6.

In addition, the stream of high-energy electrons 5 emitted by the electron gun in the opposite direction to the ship’s motion, passing through the neutral rarefied material of outer space, ionizes it, turning it into plasma 7. Some of the electrons 8 of this plasma can settle on umbrella 4, participating in its neutralization.

Positive plasma ions 7 will experience repulsion from the surface of the umbrella 4, creating under certain conditions an additional reactive thrust.

The thrust control of the electric propulsion is carried out by the deflecting system of the electron gun (not shown in the drawing) or by differential variation of the power of several electron guns mounted on the ship.

Claims (4)

1. A spacecraft with an electric rocket engine, consisting of a ship’s hull, a power plant, and a device that generates a directed stream of charged particles, characterized in that said stream of charged particles consists of high-energy electrons emitted by an electron gun, and a light conductive umbrella is made around the ship’s hull. 2. The spacecraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the hole in the anode of the electron gun, designed to exit high-energy electrons, is closed by a shutter that easily passes high-energy electrons from the electron gun and does not allow low-energy gas molecules into the electron gun. 3. The spacecraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the electron gun is made with several anodes located along the electron flow and creating a traveling wave with a relatively low alternating voltage on them. 4. A spacecraft according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the electron gun is equipped with a deflecting system that changes the direction of the electron flow, or several electronic guns are used on the ship that change their power under the action of a control signal.