University of California

Trw Limited

Other

Ralph H Lovberg

John F Asmus

Charles L Dailey

Keith Boyer

Robert L Sackheim

John J Biess

James L Hieatt

This invention discloses an engine for use in sustained space travel. The engine is of an electric type powered by a nuclear reactor. The electric engine includes a pulsed inductive magnetic thruster. A gas is discharged against an inductor comprising a series of parallel coils arranged in a spiral fashion. Each coil consists of four separate electrically connected coil sections. Each coil section traverses one-quarter of the distance around the inductor from an outer perimeter to an inner perimeter to form a single closed loop. A capacitor is electrically connected to two outer perimeter connector points for each coil forming a Marx Bank arrangement. All capacitors are charged to full charge and discharged simultaneously by a trigger generator immediately after a puff of propellant gas reaches the inductor. The high induced EMF in the inductor caused by the multiple capacitors in series in a single loop creates a rapidly rising magnetic field which ionizes the propellant gas. The current and magnetic field in the ionized gas drives the gas away from the coil creating the thrust which drives the spaceship.

Multi-megawatt pulsed inductive thruster

The inventive system treating the surface of a material by utilizing high intensity ultraviolet light for glazing, cleaning and other such purposes. The system includes a high intensity ultraviolet light is generated by a liquid jet plasma pinch unit, and is repetitively pulsed to raise the surface temperature of the material rapidly to a predetermined high temperature. In one form of the invention, the system is mounted either on a vehicle, or on an overhead structure for facilitating the movement of the pinch unit to the surface to be treated. In another form of the invention, the pinch unit includes a light emitting assembly which can be lowered into an opening in a workpiece to be treated.

Plasma pinch surface treating apparatus and method of using same

A hybrid chemical/electromagnetic propulsion system which combines thermal expansion of a chemically-reacted propellant with electromagnetic acceleration of the propellant to provide an efficient propulsion system that operates in the specific impulse I.sub.sp range of 800 to 2500 seconds. The hybrid chemical/electromagnetic propulsion system includes a reaction chamber, an expansion nozzle mounted to the exit of the reaction chamber, and an induction coil wound around a portion of the expansion nozzle. The reaction chamber supports the combustion or chemical reaction of a propellant to form high-temperature ionizable reaction products. The expansion nozzle then expands these high-temperature reaction products to generate thrust. The induction coil generates a varying electric and magnetic field which ionizes and magnetically accelerates the reaction products to generate additional thrust. A drive circuit supplies current to the induction coil in a manner that maximizes this additional thrust.

Hybrid chemical/electromagnetic propulsion system

A method for processing semiconductor material for annealing or circuitizing purposes, includes establishing a high intensity light which is controlled at a high repetition rate, and exposing it toward the surface of the semiconductor material to process it in an improved manner. The high speed light is directed transversely to the surface of the material to be processed, only to a shallow depth.

Method for processing semiconductor materials

A system for processing the surface of semiconductor material for annealing and etching purposes. The system established a high intensity ultraviolet light which is repetitively pulsed to rapidly raise the surface temperature of the semiconductor material to a predetermined temperature for either etching or annealing purposes.

System for processing semiconductor materials

A plasma pinch system includes a fluid-jet pinch device for establishing a plasma source composed of a tenuous vapor preconditioning cloud surrounding a central narrow flowing fine stream of fluid under pressure. A discharge device is connected electrically to the fluid-jet pinch device for supplying an electrical flow through a portion of the fluid stream for establishing an incoherent light emitting plasma therealong. A method of using the plasma pinch system for manufacturing semiconductors, includes exposing a semiconductor wafer to the incoherent light emitted by the plasma for either annealing or etching purposes.

Plasma pinch system and method of using same

A plasma pinch system includes a fluid-jet pinch device for establishing a plasma source composed of a tenuous vapor preconditioning cloud surrounding a central narrow flowing fine stream of fluid under pressure. A discharge device is connected electrically to the fluid-jet pinch device for supplying an electrical flow through a portion of the fluid stream for establishing an incoherent light emitting plasma therealong. A method of using the plamsa pinch system for manufacturing semiconductors, includes exposing a semiconductor wafer to the incoherent light emitted by the plasma for either annealing or etching purposes.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Ralph H Lovberg