Patent ID: 7701145
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: B64G,H05H

Abstract:
1. A solid expellant plasma generator, comprising: a stainless steel support housing; a 0.9 mm diameter copper-clad carbon electrode rod located in the central portion of the support housing; a block of solid expellant material made of poly(butyl methacrylate) with poly(tetraethylene glycol diacrylate) crosslinks that surrounds the electrode rod within the support housing; wherein the electrode rod and the solid expellant material decompose at the same rate in order to maintain a point of discharge of the plasma at the interface between the electrode and the solid expellant material upon ignition of the generator; wherein the generator maintains an expellant mass utilization of 0.00325 kg/amp-hr or greater; and wherein the operating voltage of the generator is inversely proportional to the emission current once the generator reaches a critical emmission current of approximately 0.4 amps.