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:
Nov. 24, 2015
Filed:
Feb. 10, 2011
Oscar Biblarz, Carmel, CA (US);
Marcello Romano, Monterey, CA (US);
Oscar Biblarz, Carmel, CA (US);
Marcello Romano, Monterey, CA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A field-ionization based electrical ion thruster utilizes a single propellant that can be used in either a high specific-impulse mode, i.e., ion-thruster mode, or a low-specific-impulse mode, i.e., a cold-gas thruster mode. In one embodiment, the high specific impulse mode (ion thruster mode) utilizes a miniaturized positive-ion field-ionization chamber including a permeable substrate infused with properly oriented carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is fed propellant from a porous injection plug made from permeable carbon or equivalent material. In one embodiment, field-electron emission from a neutralizer, such as a carbon nanotube array neutralizer, positioned after one or more accelerator grids is used for ion neutralization. In one embodiment, the low specific-impulse (cold-gas mode) uses a conventional supersonic nozzle-expansion to generate thrust. In one embodiment, both the high specific-impulse mode and the low specific-impulse mode thruster embodiments share the same gas propellant, storage propellant tank, and delivery equipment.