Patent ID: 7180243
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: F03H,H05H

Abstract:
1. A closed electron drift plasma accelerator comprising: a) an annular ionization chamber defined by walls of electrically insulating material, having inside faces covered in an electrically-conductive material; b) an acceleration chamber formed by an annular acceleration channel of insulating material which is on the same axis as the ionization chamber, having an outlet that is open in a downstream direction and having an upstream inlet communicating with the ionization chamber; c) an annular anode placed at the downstream end of the ionization chamber in the vicinity of the upstream inlet of the acceleration channel; d) a hollow cathode disposed in the vicinity of the downstream outlet of the acceleration channel, and outside it; e) a first DC voltage source having its negative pole connected to the cathode and its positive pole connected to the anode; f) an annular gas manifold disposed in the vicinity of the end wall constituting the upstream portion of the ionization chamber; g) a magnetic circuit comprising at least a central cylindrical mandrel, inner and outer magnetic poles defining the open downstream outlet of the acceleration channel, and a rear end wall which forms the upstream end of the ionization chamber; and h) magnetic field generator means comprising at least a first magnetic field generator disposed around the acceleration chamber between the outer magnetic pole and the ionization chamber, a second magnetic field generator disposed around the central cylindrical mandrel between the inner magnetic pole and the upstream inlet to the acceleration channel situated beside the ionization chamber, and a third magnetic field generator disposed around the central cylindrical mandrel between the second magnetic field generator and the upstream end of the ionization chamber; the accelerator further comprising a coaxial annular coil which is disposed inside the cavity of the ionization chamber, which is provided with biased conductive cladding connected together with the electrically-conductive material of the inside faces of the walls of the ionization chamber to the positive pole of a second voltage source whose negative pole is connected to the anode, and which constitutes a fourth magnetic field generator which, together with the other magnetic field generators, forms a magnetic field having a magnetic line of force that includes an “X” point corresponding to a magnetic field zero situated between said coaxial annular coil and the anode.