United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 4,663,932 Cox [45] Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
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United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 4,663,932 Cox [45] Date of Patent: May 12, 1987 [54] DIPOLAR FORCE FIELD PROPULSION Primary Examiner-Louis J. Casaregola SYSTEM Attorney, Agent, or Firm-—Daniel J. Meaney, Jr. [76] Inventor: James E. Cox, 5455 Romaine St., Los [57] ABSTRACT Angeles, Calif. 90038 A dipolar force ?eld propulsion system having a alter [21] Appl. No.: 401,526 nating electric ?eld source for producing electromotive lines of force which extend in a ?rst direction and [22] Filed: Jul. 26, 1982 which vary at a selected frequency and having an elec tric ?eld strength of a predetermined magnitude, a [51] Int. Cl.4 ............................................. .. F03H 5/00 source of an alternating magnetic ?eld having magnetic [52] US. Cl. ................................... .. 60/200.1; 60/202; lines of force which extend in a second direction which 3l3/359.l; 315/5.4l is at a predetermined angle to the ?rst direction of the [58] Field of Search .................. .. 60/202, 203.1, 200.1; electromotive lines of force and which cross and inter 3l3/359.1, 361.1, 362.1; 3l5/lll.01, 5.41, 5.42 cept the electromotive line of force at a predetermined ‘ [56] References Cited location de?ning a force ?eld region and wherein the frequency of the alternating magnetic ?eld substantially U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS equal to the frequency of the alternating electric ?eld 3,095,163 6/1963 Hill .................................... .. 244/12 and at a selected in phase angle therewith and wherein 3,322,374 5/1967 King 244/62 the magnetic ?eld has a ?ux density which when multi 3,324,316 6/1967 Cann 310/11 plied times the selected frequency is less than a known 3,334,022 9/1967 Eckert . .. 313/63 characteristic ?eld ionization potential limit; a source of 3,353,354 11/1967 Friedman et al. 60/203.l neutral particles of matter having a selected dipole char 3,371,490 3/ 1968 Haslund . .. 60/202 3,505,550 4/1970 Levoy et a1. 313/63 acteristic and having a known characteristic ?eld ioni 3,527,055 9/1970 Rego ......... .. 60/224 zation potential limit which is greater than the magni 3,662,554 5/1972 Broqueville ..... .. 60/202 tude of the electric ?eld and wherein the dipoles of the 3,678,306 7/1972 Garnier et al. 310/11 particles of matter are capable of being driven into 3,735,591 5/1973 Burkhart 60/202 cyclic rotation at the selected frequency by the electric 3,866,414 2/1975 Bahn ................................... .. 60/202 ?eld to produce a reactive thrust, a vaporizing stage OTHER PUBLICATIONS which vaporizes said particles of matter into a gaseous state at a selected temperature, and a transporting sys Jahn, R. 6., Physics of Electric Propulsion, tem for transporting the vaporized particles of matter McGraw-Hill, 1968, pp. 196-198. into the force ?eld de?ned by the crossing electromo Cox, J. E., “Electromagnetic Propulsion without Ioni tive lines of force and the magnetic lines of force. zation”, ATAA/SAE/ASME 16th Joint Propulsion Conference Hartford, Conn., 1980. 21 Claims, 53 Drawing Figures US. Patent Mayl2, 1987 Sheet3 ofl6 4,663,932 I .marwz 4457,”: 260 Z” | 2/0 U.S. Patént May 12, 1987 Sheet4ofl6 4,663,932 o (A w ‘a ‘/% 41% U. S. Pat'ent May 12, 1987 Sheet-5 ofl6 4,663,932 450 U. S. Patént May 12, 1987 Sheet6 0f16 4,663,932 am U.S. Patént Mayl2, 1987 Sheet7ofl6 4,663,932 52 ~53 U. S. Patent May 12, 1987 Sheet 8 of 16 4,663,932 > 6/; WM / 10a US. Patent May12, 1987 Sheet 10 0fl6 ‘4,663,932 724 276’ 7/5 E 7:? +1 Zia 76;; 7.55 J; 2"!)45474; 730 U. S. Patent May 12, 1987 Sheetl2 ofl6 4,663,932 U. S. Patient May12, 1987 Sheetl3 ofl6 4,663,932 U.S. Patént May 12, 1987 Sheet 14 of16 4,663,932 *5 U U 14% U. s. Patént May 12, 1987 SheetlS of16 4,663,932 1% 1450 i 1050 US. Patent Mayl2, 1987- Sheet 16 of16 4,663,932 560%“? a E j/é/l// 7274/; | 5:27‘??? ?/izv/r 1 15 4,663,932 1 2 are engines or propulsion systems use an electric arc to DIPOLAR FORCE FIELD PROPULSION SYSTEM I heat a propulsion gas which is then passed to a standard rocket nozzle to provide thrust. Electric arc propulsion BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION systems are capable of generating considerable amounts 1. Field of the Invention of thrust and have speci?c impulse thrust greater than The present invention relates in general to a system those of chemical engines. However, the speci?c im and method for producing a reactive force on an aero pulse thrust levels of electric arc engines are lower than space vehicle to cause rotation or vibration of dipoles of the speci?c impulse thrust of electrostatic propulsion neutral particles having a selected electrical dipole systems. Typical electrothermal or electric arc propul characteristic and more particularly to a dipolar force 0 sion systems are disclosed in a book by Robert Jahn ?eld propulsion system for a aerospace vehicle utilizing entitled “Physics of Electric Propulsion” , McGraw Hill, a crossed electric E ?eld and a magnetic B ?eld for 1968. establishing a spatial force ?eld region wherein a con Another known type of spacecraft propulsion system trol means establishes a predetermined spatial and time is generally referred to as electromagnetic propulsion relationship between the alternating electric ?eld, alter systems which includes magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nating magnetic ?eld and dipole rotation for a selected thruster or magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster. frequency to produce an reactive thrust. The MHD or MPD thrusters are capable of providing 2. Description of the Prior Art both high thrust density and high speci?c impulse. The In spacecraft propulsion systems, the use of chemical MHD or MPD thrusters utilize a propellant gas which rocket engines which use combustion of chemical fuels is ionized to form a plasma which is accelerated by to produce a large amount of thrust necessary to lift magnetic and electric ?elds and is then passed through loads from the earth’s surface is known. The term an expansion nozzle to provide thrust. In a MHD “thrust” is de?ned to mean the amount of propulsive thruster or MPD thruster, the plasma is a body of gas force developed by a propulsion engine and is typically which comprises a substantial number of free electrons related to a rocket engine that is used for boosting a and ions, but has an overall neutral electrical charge space vehicle from the earth’s surface into orbit. The providing a plasma which is electrically conductive. known space propulsion systems must have suf?cient The known MHD or MPD thrusters utilize the interac thrust to raise the spacecraft from the earth's surface tion of magnetic ?elds produced by electrical currents and that thrust must be greater than the weight of the vehicle to be lifted from the earth’s surface and placed and conductors on the spacecraft with an electrically into orbit. conductive environment to produce a reaction thrust. Once the spacecraft has been boosted into space or Several typical MHD thrusters or MPD thrusters are orbit, the required spacecraft thrust is minimal com disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,591; U.S. Pat. No. pared to the thrust required for lifting the vehicles from 3,662, 554; U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,586; U.S. Pat. No. the earth’s surface. 35 3,505,550; U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,490; U.S. Pat. No. When a spacecraft is in space or in orbit, it is desirable 3,527,055; U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,022 and U.S. Pat. No. to have the ratio of thrust produced to the rate of con 3,322,374. sumption of the fuel to be high as possible and this is It is also known in the art to combine a jet propulsion generally referred to as “speci?c impulse.” In space or power plant with a magnetoplasmadynamic generator - in orbit, a spacecraft propulsion system having a high 40 to produce a hybrid propulsion system. One such pro “speci?c impulse” capability is highly desirable. pulsion system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,306. Thus, it is known in the art of space propulsion sys The use of a controlled fusion device which generates tems that the chemical rocket engines are capable of electrical energy utilizing an ionized gas plasma in a providing the requisite thrust necessary to lift large space propulsion system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. payloads from the earth’s surface into orbit. 45 3,324,316. Once the spacecraft and its payload is in orbit, it is The design of plasma propulsion systems having spe-' desirable for the spacecraft propulsion system to be able cial magnetic ?elds for controlling the speci?c impulse to change the orbit, speed and/ or orbital position of the characteristics of the plasma propulsion device is dis spacecraft with a “speci?c impulse” propulsive force. closed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,191,092. A number of propulsion systems have the capacility 50 In addition to the above described space propulsion of providing “speci?c impulse” thrust for changing the systems, the inventor of the present application pub orbit, speed and/ or orbital position of a spacecraft. lished an article entitled “Electromagnetic Propulsion One such known propulsion engine is generally re Without Ionization” which appeared in the AIAA/SA ferred to as “electrostatic propulsion systems” wherein E/ASME 16th Joint Propulsion Conference which was the thrust is created by electrostatic acceleration of ions held on June 13, 1980 to July 2, 1980 in Hartford, Conn.