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:
Dec. 02, 2008
Filed:
Dec. 13, 2005
Vladimir J. Hruby, Newton, MA (US);
Bruce Pote, Sturbridge, MA (US);
Rachel A. Tedrake, Natick, MA (US);
Lawrence T. Byrne, Cranston, RI (US);
James J. Szabo, Jr., Bedford, MA (US);
Juraj Kolencik, Newton, MA (US);
Vladimir J. Hruby, Newton, MA (US);
Bruce Pote, Sturbridge, MA (US);
Rachel A. Tedrake, Natick, MA (US);
Lawrence T. Byrne, Cranston, RI (US);
James J. Szabo, Jr., Bedford, MA (US);
Juraj Kolencik, Newton, MA (US);
Busek Company, Inc., Natick, MA (US);
Abstract
A Hall thruster with a shared magnetic structure including a plurality of plasma accelerators each including an anode and a discharge zone for providing plasma discharge. An electrical circuit having one or more cathodes connected to the plurality of plasma accelerators emits electrons that are attracted to the anode in each of the plasma accelerators. A shared magnetic circuit structure establishes a transverse magnetic field in each of the plurality of plasma accelerators that creates an impedance to the flow of electrons toward the anode in each of the plurality of plasma accelerators and enables ionization of a gas moving through one or more of the plurality of plasma accelerators. The impedance localizes an axial electric field in the plurality of plasma accelerators for accelerating ionized gas through the one or more of the plurality of plasma accelerators to create thrust.