A flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) converter including a gate driver circuit comprising a DC-DC flyback converter having a plurality of isolated outputs. In various examples, the FCML circuit further includes a first control circuit connected to the FCML circuit determining the load current associated with a desired power output from the load; and determining a desired output voltage associated with the load current; a second control circuit that drives an inductor current (I.sub.L) through the inductor so that the output applies an output voltage comprising the desired output voltage; and a third control circuit obtaining a comparison of an average of the inductor current (I.sub.L) through the inductor with a predetermined reference current (I.sub.LREF) and setting the duty cycle so that the average does not exceed the predetermined reference current. Also described is the converter driving a load comprising a plasma and a propulsion system comprising the converter.

The sequential impulse thruster is a system intended to provide permanent thrust to any vehicle to which it can be applied. The thrust by the system is the result of the repulsion of a perforated disc with several holes subsequent to the expulsion of compressed air or gas through the holes of the perforated disc. The compressed air or gas is expelled in sequential impulses within a hermetic frame. In order to achieve the thrust, the system is based on the organization of a set of components: a flanged and threaded axis of rotation, two types of propellers, one to realise sequences of expulsions and the other as a potential for the flowback, a perforated disc with several holes, and finally, a tube which allows separation between the expulsion of air or compressed gas and its flowback towards its pressure source.

A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) has an anode, a coaxial insulator, and a fiber propellant feed system. At least two cathodes insulated from each other are configured about the coaxial insulator to define an interior profile shaped into a nozzle region. At least one igniter fitted through each cathode. Wherein when the igniters are triggered, the igniters expel electrons toward the anode to ignite a primary high energy discharge between the anode and the cathodes thereby creating a plasma that vaporizes the fiber propellant. The dissociated fiber propellant combines with the primary high energy discharge to create a partially or fully ionized plasma, that is electromagnetically and electrothermally accelerated to produce predominantly {right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)}{right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)} thrust.

A system can include a reservoir configured to hold working material, a decontamination module configured to remove contaminants from the working material, a flow control mechanism configured to regulate working material flow between the reservoir and the decontamination module, and a manifold fluidly connecting the reservoir to the decontamination module.

Methods and systems for electric propulsion are provided. An example method includes providing a magnetic shield using an accelerating channel made of a soft magnetic material; generating, by a magnetic system, a radial magnetic field in the accelerating channel to ionize a working substance, wherein the magnetic system includes a central magnetic pole, an outer annular pole, a magnetic circuit, and coils to carry an electrical current; and generating, using an outer hollow cathode and an anode-gas distributor disposed within the accelerating channel, an electrical discharge along the accelerating channel. The accelerating channel provides the magnetic shield to force the radial magnetic field to have a maximum gradient at a location of the central magnetic pole and at a location of the outer annular pole and to force ions of a working substance to pass isolators of magnetic poles, thereby decreasing erosion of the isolators.

HYPERDRIVE receives continuous air breathing assistance from compressed atmospheric air through a high speed magnetically core driven turbine accelerator which resolves around a common flow path tunnel. The tunnel runs from the front to the back of the engine. It is assisted by a series of radial geometric ramjet engines that share the common flow path tunnel for hypersonic exhaust but has separate inlet air from a linear aerospike which governs mass flow of air, velocity of inlet air and pressure to the turbine and/or ramjets, as well as the positioning of the shock wave at the inlet to reduce aerodynamic drag. The ramjet is of hybrid engine design where it can also function as a scramjet, thus a ram-scramjet structure for combustion in a radial configuration about the engine (aft of an electrical compressor), where the common flow path tunnel also serves as a compression tunnel to compress air through a the constantly occurring series of compression shocks entering from and around the aerospike.

This design processes free radical flows following physical principals that explain their movement conditioned by electromagnetic fields expressed in the convergence of induced field lines, in ways apart from existing designs. It describes specific means to obtain free radicals, process, and exhaust them within uniquely designed processing chambers.

The apparatus includes high frequency resonance transformers that exhaust free radicals into primary processing chambers generating a hot toroidal plasma, confined by an electromagnetic gate at one end of the chamber. The continuous injection of free radicals induce an increase in pressure and temperature that result in velocities greater than thermal electron velocity of the plasma. This velocity variance provides a current that generates a magnetic field component sufficient for conducing a plasma towards an exhaust port at the end of the chamber. As this plasma is exhausted, charge imbalances are realized, provoking additional accelerations of the free radicals.

An apparatus generates energetic particles and generates a plasma of a vaporized solid material and gaseous precursors for the application of coatings to surfaces of a substrate by way of condensation of plasma and for electric propulsion applications.

A rectifying device includes an air flow generator. The air flow generator is disposed at an exterior member of a vehicle. The exterior member is adjacent to a detector of a sensor that is disposed such that at least a portion of a detection range of the detector includes a rear region behind a plane in a traveling direction of the vehicle. The plane is parallel to a width direction and a vertical direction of the vehicle. The air flow generator is configured to generate an air flow that separates, from the detector of the sensor, travelling wind that accompanies travel of the vehicle. The air flow generator includes a plasma actuator that includes at least a pair of electrodes and a power source that is configured to apply an alternating current voltage to the electrodes.

An ionic propulsion system for an aircraft having an airfoil includes a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor being disposed at least partially within the airfoil when not in use. The propulsion system includes an actuator for extending the first conductor and the second conductor from an end of the airfoil such that the first conductor and the second conductor are in the airstream of the aircraft, the first conductor being upstream of the second conductor in the airstream. The propulsion system includes a power supply for supplying current to the first conductor and the second conductor to ionize the air particles in the vicinity of the first conductor and the end of the airfoil to create a flow of the ionized particles from the first conductor toward the second conductor.