Electronegative plasma motor

Abstract

A plasma motor for extracting a positive ion flow has a single ionization stage and a device for supplying the ionization stage with an ionizable electronegative gas. The plasma motor further has a device for creating an electric field so as to produce the ionization of the gas in the ionization stage. The device for creating the electric filed includes a device for extracting a negative ion flow and, a device for extracting a positive ion flow, connected to the ionization stage. The extraction of a positive ion flow and the extraction of a negative ion flow are of the same amplitude, ensuring the electrical neutrality of the motor. The extraction of a positive ion flow and the extraction of a negative ion flow allow the neutrality of the motor to be ensured.

Claims

1. A plasma motor for extracting a positive ion flow, said plasma motor comprising: a single ionization stage configured to generate eleotrons by an ionizable electronegative gas introduced into the ionization stage; a filtering stage connected to the ionization stale; and an extraction stage connected to the filtering stage and including (i) a first device for extracting a negative on flow, wherein the first device is positively polarized to accelerate a negative ion flow, and (ii) a second device for extracting a positive ion flow, wherein the second device is negatively polarized to accelerate the positive ion flow, wherein the positive ion flow and the negative ion flow have a same amplitude thereby ensuring an electrical neutrality of the motor; and the filtering stage comprises a third device for filtering the electrons, which are freed in the ionization stage, during ionization of the electronegative gas.

2. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction stage for extracting the negative and positive ion flows comprises at least one polarized grid.

3. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering stage comprises two conductor elements paced at ends of the ionization stage to apply a voltage to said ionization stage.

4. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering stage comprises a coil powered by a radiofrequency current.

5. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein filtering stage comprises a helicon antenna powered by a radiofrequency current (RF).

6. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronegative gas is diiodine.

7. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronegative gas is oxygen.

8. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third device is configured to create an alternating field generating a pulsed plasma allowing simultaneous extraction of ion flows in absence of an electric field and filtering of the electrons.

9. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third device is configured to generate a static magnetic field within the ionization stage so as to filter the electrons.

10. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 9, further comprising permanent magnets placed at a periphery of the ionization stage to create the magnetic field within said ionization stage.

11. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first device and the second device are configured to extract the negative and positive ion flows in a direction perpendicuiar to a direction of the magnetic field applied at the ionization stage.

12. The plasma motor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the ionization stage is configured in cylinder, at least one peripheral extraction stage mounted on said cylinder and equipped on a surface with positively and negatively polarized grids.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein elements having the same reference numeral designations represent like elements throughout and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematizes a plasma motor according to the prior art comprising the propulsion of a positive gas accompanied by a neutralizer;

(3) FIG. 2 schematizes an example of a motor according to the invention comprising an electronegative gas for simultaneously generating a positive ion flow and a negative ion flow;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a motor according to the invention, having two extraction grids, polarized positively and negatively; and

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a variant of the extraction stage comprising pairs of positively and negatively polarized grids, according to an example of a motor similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) In the example described below, the motor according to the invention comprises a structure supplied with electronegative gas as schematized in FIG. 2 and comprising: an ionization stage 1; a filtering stage 2; and an extraction stage 3.

(7) A flow of electronegative gas A.sub.2 is introduced into the ionization stage 1. Under the action of a magnetic field, schematized by the arrow representing the electrical power Pe, the electronegative gas generates positive ions A.sup.+, negative ions A.sup. and electrons e.sup.. The ionization stage is connected to a stage 2 of filtering the electrons in such a way as to make available in the extraction stage 3 a plasma of positive ions and of negative ions lacking electrons due to the filtering means, which may, for example, be a static magnetic field. Extraction of the plasma is ensured in the case schematized here by two grids, polarized negatively 4 and positively 5.

(8) The thrust is therefore ensured by the two types of ions (the negative charge and the positive charge). The neutralization downstream is no longer necessary because the beams of ions neutralize each other downstream (recombination) to form a beam of fast neutral molecules.

(9) The ionization stage 1 may use any type of connection of the electrical energy to the plasma (for example, two plates continuously polarized at low frequency or at radiofrequency, a coil powered at radiofrequency for inductive coupling, or a microwave source).

(10) The filtering stage 2 may be produced in at least two ways: (i) by adjusting the creation of the plasma (pulsed plasmas: on/off alternation of the electrical power) and by using the off period for extraction, a period during which the electrons have disappeared by attaching to the molecules. According to this configuration, the ionization and filtering stages are common; (ii) by using a static magnetic field to trap the electrons that have a much lower Larmor radius due to the ratio of their respective masses. The Larmor radius is proportional to the mass of particles; it is written:

(11) $R_L=\frac{m_{e,i}{u}_{e,i}}{\mathrm{eB}}$
where m.sub.e,i and u.sub.e,i are the mass and the speed respectively of the electrons or ions, e is the elementary charge, and B the amplitude of the magnetic field.

(12) The extraction stage 3 may consist of accelerating grids, the dimensions of which are not necessarily similar to those of motors with a conventional grid, because the charge sheath properties of space are different in the absence of electrons.

(13) FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a possible prototype which is only one example among the possible prototypes.

(14) The system comprises a horizontal cylinder: the ionization stage 1, where the dense plasma is generated by applying a radiofrequency voltage at 13.56 MHz to a helicon antenna, represented by the abbreviation RF. Helicon sources are known for producing very effective ionization. This cylinder furthermore comprises means 6 for introducing ionizable gas into the ionization stage. The diiodine I.sub.2 is used as fuel. This is a highly electronegative gas allowing the formation of a large quantity of heavy negative ions (the higher the mass, the greater the thrust; the mass of I.sub.2 is 254 AMU (Atomic Mass Units)). Furthermore, the ionization threshold of diiodine is low (10.5 eV to form I.sup.+), which favors the formation of positive ions at low energy cost. However, a priori any electronegative gas may be used (for example, oxygen). A static magnetic field B with an intensity of around 0.01-0.1 Tesla is applied in the source cylinder, allowing the electrons to be confined in the cylinder, as shown in FIG. 3. The magnetic field may be generated by circulating a direct current through the coils or by permanent magnets (positioned at the periphery of the cylinder and not shown).

(15) This magnetic field has two functions: (i) to increase the ionization efficiency thanks to better electron confinement and better heating of the plasma by the helicon wave; and (ii) to create the magnetic filter for the electrons, i.e. to magnetize the electrons, to prevent them from diffusing into the ionic extraction stages 3.

(16) These stages may typically be equipped with polarized grids, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to generate on one side a negative ion flow I.sub.x.sup. and a positive ion flow I.sub.y.sup.+. The positive and negative ions generated in the ionization stage (the horizontal cylinder) diffuse radially into the extraction stages because, in contrast to the electrons, they are not magnetized (the magnetic field is fairly weak and their mass is very high, with the result that their Larmor radius is far greater than the radius of the cylinder).

(17) According to a variant of the invention, the extraction stages 3 illustrated in perspective in FIG. 4 may also operate with pairs of grids 41 and 51 (the system illustrated in the figures has four pairs, two on each side); one of them is negatively polarized to accelerate the positive ions, the other is positively polarized to accelerate the negative ions. Note that the extraction areas may have different geometric forms; any geometry is conceivable and will seek to maximize the extraction surface.

(18) Finally, the two extracted ion beams, with opposite signs, neutralize each other downstream (in space). Neutralization is therefore automatic and does not require an additional electron beam. The two beams may also recombine to form a beam of fast neutral molecules.

(19) Typically, with a motor having an overall extraction area of around 500 cm.sup.2, an acceleration voltage of 1000 V (obtained by polarizing the extraction grids so as to optimize the ionic optics), it is possible to obtain an ionic current density of 10 mA/cm.sup.2, and hence a total extracted current of 5 A. Taking the mass of iodine, this current corresponds to a mass flow rate of ejected fuel of 6.5 mg/s. By considering an acceleration voltage of 1000 V, the ejection speed of the ions will be 40 km/s. Referring to the equations presented in the introduction, this mass flow rate and this ejection speed lead to the following performance: a thrust of 250 mN for a specific impulse of 4000 s.

(20) It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention fulfils all of the objects set forth above. After reading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to affect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and various aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only by definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.