The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 24, 1996
Applicant:
Inventor:
George W Butler, Seattle, WA (US);
Assignee:
Primex Technologies, Inc., Redmond, WA (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
F03H / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
602031 ; 21912148 ; 2191215 ;
Abstract
There is provided an anode for an electrothermal arcjet thruster. A conduit running through the anode body has a converging upstream portion and a diverging downstream portion connected by a constrictor portion having a greater diameter at the interface with the upstream portion than at the interface with the downstream portion. As the result, the cross-sectional area available to a propellant gas passing through the constrictor constantly decreases and the propellent gas velocity continually increases. This constrictor geometry allows the arcjet thruster to be operated at a lower mass flow rate increasing the obtainable specific energy.