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:
Jan. 02, 2018
Filed:
Mar. 13, 2014
Applicant:
Wesley Gordon Faler, Dunedin, FL (US);
Inventors:
Wesley Gordon Faler, Dunedin, FL (US);
Donald Roy Smith, Saline, MI (US);
Assignee:
Other;
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
F03H 1/00 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); H01J 27/24 (2006.01); F03H 3/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
F03H 1/0087 (2013.01); B64G 1/405 (2013.01); F03H 3/00 (2013.01); H01J 27/24 (2013.01);
Abstract
A propulsion system for spacecraft is based on an electric engine that expels propellant to achieve thrust. The propellant is first ionized to generate a plasma. Plasma particles are selectively accelerated via a pulsed laser that accelerates predominantly the electrons in the plasma. The electrons are expelled first, forming a space charge that acts as a virtual cathode to accelerate the positive ions. Interactions between the laser beam and plasma electrons are predominantly through the ponderomotive force.