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.

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.

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.

Dual propellant electrothermal propulsion systems with a polar propellant and a non-polar propellant are disclosed. Such a system may be used for imparting high specific impulse momentum on a spacecraft. A thruster includes a microwave source operably coupled to a heating chamber. An injector mixes polar and non-polar propellants and a nozzle at one end of the heating chamber. The thruster raises the temperature of the mixed propellants that exit the heating chamber to expand in the nozzle to generate thrust.

The invention is for a startup system for nuclear fusion engines in space. The combustion of hydrogen and oxygen produces heat that is used by a heat engine to produce electricity. This can be supplemented by electricity from other operating engines. The exhaust from the combustion is condensed and electrolyzed to produce hydrogen and oxygen once the engine is in operation. This provides a constant source of energy for future startups. The engine is started up at partial power in electricity generation mode and this power replaces the power from the combustion as it grows. The combustor uses the same heat engine as the nuclear engine uses for power generation.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for movement of a fluid around a small form-factor device, such as a semiconductor device die or package, through use of a microplasma. Embodiments provide for a microplasma generated in an ambient fluid with a lower power than predicted by a Paschen Curve for that fluid. The ionized molecules of the plasma can be manipulated by further generation of an electric field that can be used, for example, to move the ions in a desired direction. The movement of the ionized fluid generates a fluid flow of neighboring, non-ionized fluid molecules in the desired direction.

The present invention relates to a Microwave Electrothermal Thruster(MET) adapted for in-space electrothermal propulsion comprising a tunable frequency Microwave Electrothermal Thruster propulsion module enabling primary propulsion and altitude control of a satellite/spacecraft wherein RF Semiconductors is introduced for the first time as microwave generator inside cavity body to increase its efficiency and respond time and to make the thruster capable of operating in two frequencies by mechanically tuning its cavity making such thruster compact and light weight. The free-floating plasma within the resonant cavity couples the incident electrical power directly to the tangentially injected propellant gas. The plasma forms by focusing the microwave energy into the first transverse magnetic mode and operates independent of the type of propellant gas used. Also, for the first time, Shape Memory Alloy is introduced into the thruster cavity to enable faster and effective tuning of the resonant cavity diameter, when switching between two operational frequencies.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for movement of a fluid around a small form-factor device, such as a semiconductor device die or package, through use of a microplasma. Embodiments provide for a microplasma generated in an ambient fluid with a lower power than predicted by a Paschen Curve for that fluid. The ionized molecules of the plasma can be manipulated by further generation of an electric field that can be used, for example, to move the ions in a desired direction. The movement of the ionized fluid generates a fluid flow of neighboring, non-ionized fluid molecules in the desired direction.

An electrothermal device (1, 100) includes a primary chamber (2) having an anode nozzle (6) provided with an inlet passage (7), a cathode tip (9) at least partially inserted into the inlet passage (7), and a primary air inlet (10) leading into the inlet passage (7), and a voltage generator (11) arranged between the anode nozzle (6) and the cathode tip (9) in such a way as to generate an electric arc (12) on the path of the primary air flow (13) injected into the primary chamber (2). It includes a secondary chamber (3) wherein a secondary air flow (15) circulates in a heat exchange relation with the heated primary air flow (14) from the primary chamber (2), the secondary air flow (15) having a lower temperature than the heated primary air flow (14) leaving the primary chamber (2).