Carbide-based fuel assembly includes outer structural member of ceramic matrix composite material (e.g., SiC—SiC composite), insulation layer of porous refractory ceramic material (e.g., zirconium carbide with open-cell foam structure or fibrous zirconium carbide), and interior structural member of refractory ceramic-graphite composite material (e.g., zirconium carbide-graphite or niobium carbide-graphite). Spacer structures between various layers provide a defined and controlled spacing relationship. A fuel element bundle positioned between support meshes includes a plurality of distributively arranged fuel elements or a solid, unitary fuel element with coolant channels, each having a fuel composition including high assay, low enriched uranium (HALEU). Fuel assemblies are distributively arranged in a moderator block and the upper end of the outer structural member is attached to a metallic inlet tube for hydrogen propellant and the lower end of the outer structural member is interfaced with a support plate, forming a nuclear thermal propulsion reactor.

The invention provides a method for computational fluid dynamics and apparatuses making enable an efficient implementation and use of an enhanced jet-effect, either the Coanda-jet-effect, the hydrophobic jet-effect, or the waving-jet-effect, triggered by specifically shaped corpuses and tunnels. The method is based on the approaches of the kinetic theory of matter providing generalized equations of fluid motion and is generalized and translated into terms of electromagnetism. The method is applicable for slow-flowing as well as fast-flowing real compressible-extendable generalized fluids and enables optimal design of convergent-divergent nozzles, providing for the most efficient jet-thrust. The method can be applied to airfoil shape optimization for bodies flying separately and in a multi-stage cascaded sequence. The method enables apparatuses for electricity harvesting from the fluid heat-energy, providing a positive net-efficiency. The method enables generators for practical-expedient power harvesting using constructive interference of waves due to the waving jet-effect.

The invention provides a method for computational fluid dynamics and apparatuses making enable an efficient implementation and use of an enhanced jet-effect, either the Coanda-jet-effect, the hydrophobic jet-effect, or the waving-jet-effect, triggered by specifically shaped corpuses and tunnels. The method is based on the approaches of the kinetic theory of matter providing generalized equations of fluid motion and is generalized and translated into terms of electromagnetism. The method is applicable for slow-flowing as well as fast-flowing real compressible-extendable generalized fluids and enables optimal design of convergent-divergent nozzles, providing for the most efficient jet-thrust. The method can be applied to airfoil shape optimization for bodies flying separately and in a multi-stage cascaded sequence. The method enables apparatuses for electricity harvesting from the fluid heat-energy, providing a positive net-efficiency. The method enables generators for practical-expedient power harvesting using constructive interference of waves due to the waving jet-effect.

A fuel-free spacecraft propelling system having an open-ended outer cylinder of a propelling device and an atomic oxygen collecting device is disclosed. The latter is arranged at the forwardly-propelled front end of the outer cylinder and is hermetically connected with an RF generating device and an ion cyclotron wave heating device through a magnetic confinement device. A spiral wave discharge oxygen plasma inlet and a spiral wave discharge oxygen plasma outlet in the ion cyclotron wave heating device are respectively provided with another magnetic confinement device. The propulsion of the invention does not need to carry the propellant, which greatly reduces the launch costs, and enables a spacecraft to advantageously have an increased orbit life over existing spacecraft systems.

A satellite has thrusters that are integral parts of its frame. The frame defines cavities therein where thrusters are located. The thrusters may include an electrically-operated propellant and electrodes to activate combustion in the electrically-operated propellant. The frame may be additively manufactured, and the propellant and/or the electrodes may also be additively manufactured, with the frame and the propellant and/or the electrodes also being manufactured in a single process. In addition the thrusters may have nozzle portions through which combustion gases exit the thrusters. The thrusters may be located at corners and/or along edges of the frame, and may be used to accomplish any of a variety of maneuvers for the satellite. The satellite may be a small satellite, such as a CubeSat satellite, for instance having a volume of about 1 liter, and a mass of no more than about 1.33 kg.

According to one contemplated embodiment of the rocket engine invention, water is first pumped from a water tank through a rocket nozzle cooling heat exchanger wherein it is evaporated into said superheated steam. A generator supplies electricity to an electrolyzer that electrolyzes superheated steam into gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. The gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen is employed for forming an annular curtain of secondary combustion in a divergent rocket engine. The secondary combustion gas surrounds a central thrust of combustion gas produced in an upstream combustion chamber by a primary injection of hydrogen/oxygen supplied from a liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. The rocket liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank are pressurized by gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen generated by the electrolyzer.

A filtering apparatus formed by a plurality of channel systems. Each of the channel systems include an inlet port formed on an inlet side of the plate; no more than one outlet port formed on an outlet side of the plate; and a channel formed in the plate, the channel coupled to the inlet port and to the outlet port, wherein the ratio of the product of the capture area of the inlet ports of a channel system with the first transmissivity associated with the inlet ports to the product of the capture area of the outlet ports of a channel system with the second transmissivity associated with the outlet ports is greater than one. The channel system is configured to interact with objects of interest on a scale which is smaller than a value several orders of magnitude larger than the mean free path of an object of interest. Some plate embodiments are configured to interact with particles, such as air molecules, water molecules, or aerosols. Other plate embodiments are configured to interact with waves or wavelike particles, such as electrons, photons, phonons or acoustic waves.

Disclosed are a method of flying on the moon and a device for flying using the method. A medium on a surface of a moon and a medium accelerating module are used in the flying method. The medium is transferred into the medium accelerating module, accelerated by the medium accelerating module, and ejected out of the medium accelerating module by using a power supply. A counterforce is generated in accordance with the momentum conservation, and the counterforce overcomes the lunar gravity and drives a load to take off. The method is suitable for the environment of the moon where flight by means of atmospheric buoyancy is impossible due to the shortage of atmosphere.

Carbide-based fuel assembly includes outer structural member of ceramic matrix composite material, the interior surface of which is lined in higher temperature regions with an insulation layer of porous refractory ceramic material. Continuous insulation layer extends the length of the fuel assembly or separate insulation layer sections have a thickness increasing step-wise along the length of the fuel assembly from upper (inlet) section towards bottom (outlet) section. A fuel element positioned inward of the insulation layer and between support meshes has a fuel composition including HALEU and the form of a plurality of individual elongated fuel bodies or one or more fuel monolith bodies containing coolant flow channels. Fuel assemblies are distributively arranged in a moderator block, with upper end of the outer structural member attached to an inlet for propellant and lower end of the outer structural member operatively interfaced with a nozzle forming a nuclear thermal propulsion reactor.

A satellite has thrusters that are integral parts of its frame. The frame defines cavities therein where thrusters are located. The thrusters may include an electrically-operated propellant and electrodes to activate combustion in the electrically-operated propellant. The frame may be additively manufactured, and the propellant and/or the electrodes may also be additively manufactured, with the frame and the propellant and/or the electrodes also being manufactured in a single process. In addition the thrusters may have nozzle portions through which combustion gases exit the thrusters. The thrusters may be located at corners and/or along edges of the frame, and may be used to accomplish any of a variety of maneuvers for the satellite. The satellite may be a small satellite, such as a CubeSat satellite, for instance having a volume of about 1 liter, and a mass of no more than about 1.33 kg.