Abstract 897,577. Jet-propulsion plant. BRISTOL SIDDELEY ENGINES Ltd. June 27, 1960 [July 15, 1959], No. 24273/59. Class 110 (3). [Also in Groups XI and XL (a)] A "pulsed-electro ram-jet " for propulsion in space comprises a particle separator and accelerator 18 (see Group XL (a)) through which positive ions and electrons from concentrated ionization regions in space are introduced into a chamber 11 containing a cooled anode 12 and cathode 13 between which an arc is maintained by a constant potential to increase the energy of the particles. A coil 23 is supplied with a pulsed current so phased as to accelerate successive groups of particles which leave the jet nozzle at high velocity and produce useful thrust. In an alternative arrangement (Fig. 1, see Group XI), the chamber 11 is closed at the rear end and a gaseous or liquid working fluid, e.g. the products of combustion from a rocket combustion chamber, is introduced tangentially. The coolant may be liquid metal, e.g. sodium, potassium or mercury, which may also form the working fluid.
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A HIGH VELOCITY JET CONSISTING OF A PLASMA OF IONS AND ELECTRONS, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING A CHAMBER, INLET MEANS TO SAID CHAMBER FOR THE INTRODUCTION INTO THE CAHMBER OF A WORKING FLUID AND A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC ELECTRODES TOGETHER DEFINING AN ANNULAR CONVERGENT-DIVERGENT NOZZLE FORMING AN OUTLET FROM THE CHAMBER, THE NOZZLE HAVING AN UPSTREAM CONVERGENT PORTION, A DOWNSTREAM DIVERGENT PORTION AND A THROAT THEREBETWEEN, THE FLOW THROUGH THE NOZZLE BEING AXIAL, THE APPARATUS ALSO COMPRISING MEANS WHEREBY AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL IS APPLIED ACROSS THE ELECTRODES TO PRODUCE AN ARC EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN RADIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE THROAT AND CAPABLE OF HEATING AND IONISING THE WORKING FLUID, THE INNER ELECTRODE BEING THE CATHODE AND THE OUTER ELECTRODE BEING THE ANODE, AN ELECTRICAL COIL POSITIONED CONCENTRICALLY AROUND THE ANODE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COIL, WHEREBY AN ELECTRICAL CURENT IS APPLIED TO THE COIL, THEREBY A PRODUCE A MAGNETIC FIELD WHICH ACCELERATES THE CHARGED PARTICLES FORMING THE PLASMA AS THEY PASS THROUGH THE NOZLE, AND A PARTICLE SEPARATOR AND ACCELERATOR POSITIONED AT THE UPSTREAM END OF THE CHAMBER AND FORMING AN INLET THROUGH WHICH PARTICLES ARE INTRODUCED SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY INTO THE CHAMBER, THE SAID PARTICLE SEPARATOR AND ACCELERATOR COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPEN-ENDED, CONCENTRIC, CO-AXIAL TUBES, SPACED APART RADIALLY FROM ONE ANOTHER AND EACH FORMED FROM A PACK OF ALTERNATELY ARRANGED ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE AND INSULATING RINGS, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING PULSATING ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS TO EACH ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE RING OF THE TUBES, THE SAID PULSATING ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS INCREASING IN MAGNITUDE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE PARTICLES THROUGH THE TUBES AND BEING CHANGED IN POLARITY AT EACH SUCCESSIVE PULSE.