According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.

The invention provides an electrothermal RF plasma production system and thruster design, and associated components, that may be used in terrestrial applications and/or miniaturized to the mass, volume, and power budget of Cube Satellites (CubeSats) to meet the propulsion needs of the small satellite (˜5 to ˜500 kg) constellations and larger satellite buses.

A propulsion system providing at least one of propulsion and lift comprising a source of a molecular beam or jet, a plasma generator coupled to the source, a plasma chamber coupled to the source and to the plasma generator to maintain a hydrogen plasma comprising free electrons and H+ ions, a microwave generator, a horn antenna, and a negatively charged, repulsive electrode to repel received electrons that have absorbed microwaves in a directional manner and gained reactionless kinetic energy in a directional manner.

An electrothermal plasma production device is presented. The plasma production device includes: a plasma production chamber; an RF antenna external to the plasma production chamber; a propellant tank and flow regulator external to the plasma production chamber and in communication with the plasma production chamber; and a plenum disposed between the propellant tank and the plasma production chamber. The RF antenna, in combination with an AC power source, is configured to provide an RF energy to an interior region of the plasma production chamber and to an interior region of the plenum with sufficient power to ionize at least some of the propellant in the plenum. The plasma production chamber is configured to include a propellant injector for receiving propellant at a first closed end of the plasma production chamber.

The invention provides a plasma production and control device that may be used in propulsion (e.g., satellite propulsion) and/or industrial applications. The plasma production system comprises a unidirectional magnetic field.

The present disclosure provides a plasma electric propulsion device comprising a capacitive energy storage device as a power source for an engine configured to heat and/or ionize and/or accelerate a propellant due to action of an electric field and/or magnetic field. The energy storage device comprises: a first electrically conductive electrode, a second electrically conductive electrode; and at least one metadielectric layer located between the first and second conductive electrodes. The metadielectric layer comprises at least one organic compound with at least one electrically resistive substituent and at least one polarizable unit. The polarizable unit is selected from intramolecular and intermolecular polarizable units. The organic compound is selected from the list comprising compounds with rigid electro-polarizable organic units, composite organic polarizable compounds, composite electro-polarizable organic compounds, composite non-linear electro-polarizable compounds, Sharp polymers, Furuta co-polymers, para-Furuta polymers, YanLi polymers, and any combination thereof.

A multi-mode thruster system for use in a spacecraft includes a microwave source; a cavity coupled to the microwave source and including a first inlet to receive a first fluid and a second inlet to receive a second fluid; and a nozzle provided at one end of the cavity. The thruster operates in a microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) mode to (i) generate a standing wave in the cavity using the microwave source and (ii) raise a temperature of the first fluid to generate a first hot gas that exits the cavity via the nozzle to generate thrust. The thruster operates in a chemical propulsion mode to (i) produce a reduction-oxidation reaction between the first fluid and the second fluid and (ii) generate a second hot gas that exits the cavity via the nozzle to generate thrust.

The disclosed propulsion system of a space vehicle and the methods of operating the propulsion system use a microwave energy source to heat propellant in a propellant chamber that pierces and traverses a waveguide carrying the microwave energy. In some implementations, the microwave energy ionizes and further heats the propellant in the propellant chamber. The partially ionized and heated propellant may exit the propellant chamber via a nozzle to generate thrust.

According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.

According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.