Other

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Information and Control Systems, Inc.

Ja H Lee

Frank Hohl

Alan M Lovelace

Michael D Williams

Russell J De Young

Gregory L Schuster

Gilbert H Walker

Willard R Weaver

A method of supplying power to a device such as a lunar rover located on a planetary surface is provided according to the present invention. At least one, and preferably three, laser satellites are set in orbit around the planet. Each satellite contains a nuclear reactor for generating electrical power. This electrical power is converted into a laser beam which is passed through an amplifying array and directed toward the device such as a lunar rover. The received laser beam is then converted into electrical power for use by the device.

Method for remotely powering a device such as a lunar rover

A high-coulomb transfer switch useful for high current pulse power supplies employs an inverse-pinch mechanism to sweep the arc current sheet over the electrodes. The inverse pinch currents are formed by a special electrode configuration wherein the inner electrode has the shape of a mushroom with the 'cap' surrounding the 'stem' so that the currents flowing in the electrode enclose the magnetic induction around the 'stem'. This results in repulsive forces on the outer currents in the 'cap' causing the arc current sheet to rapidly move from the lip at the 'cap' where the arc is initiated upward to the crown of the 'cap' where occurs the final decay of the current. In the disclosed preferred embodiment, the inner, outer and return electrodes are generally cylindrical and placed coaxially. The switch can be operated under a vacuum or under a high pressure gas.

High-coulomb transfer switch

A solar pumped laser in which the lasant is a gas that will photodissociate and lase when subjected to sunrays. Sunrays are collected and directed onto the gas lasant to cause it to lase.

Solar pumped laser

A solar energy collector focuses solar energy onto a solar oven which is attached to a mixer which in turn is attached to the channel of a MHD generator. Gas enters the oven and a liquid metal enters the mixer. The gas/liquid metal mixture is heated by the collected solar energy and moves through the MHD generator thereby generating electrical power. The mixture is then separated and recycled.

Solar driven liquid metal MHD power generator

A hypocycloidal pinch device comprising three spaced apart coaxially aligned, annular electrodes; means for insulating the outer electrodes from the middle electrode; means for containing the spaced apart electrodes; means for charging the containing means with a working gas; and means for applying pulsed electrical energy between (a) the outer electrodes and (b) the middle to thereby produce along the coaxial axis a plasma of the working gas.

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Newport News, VA, United States of America

Ja H Lee