Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
POWER CORE, PULSED PLASMA ENGINE, AND METHOD
Technical Field
This invention pertains generally to power cores for engines and, more
particularly, to a power core
for a pulsed plasma engine, a pulsed plasma engine, and a method of operating
the same.
Background
A pulsed plasma engine is a type of internal explosion engine that is
generally similar in principle to
an internal combustion engine except that it uses non- combustible gases such
as air, oxygen, nitrogen
or inert gas(es) instead of the combustible gases which are used in internal
combustion engines. U.S.
Patent 7,076,950 discloses an internal explosion engine and generator which
has a cylinder, a piston
which divides the cylinder into a pair of chambers that vary in volume in an
opposite manner as the
piston travels back and forth within the cylinder, a charge of non-combustible
gas sealed within each
of the chambers, means for alternately igniting the non-combustible gas in the
two chambers in an
explosive manner to drive the piston back and forth, and means coupled to the
piston for providing
electrical energy in response to movement of the piston.
Other examples of internal explosion engines are found in U.S. Patents
3,670,494 and 4,428,193.
Summary
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a power core for a pulsed
plasma engine, the power
core comprising:
an explosion chamber;
a pair of electrodes within the explosion chamber;
means for introducing a noncombustible gas into the explosion chamber;
means for ionizing the noncombustible gas to form a plasma within the
explosion chamber;
and
means for applying high energy electrical pulses to the electrodes to produce
an arc that heats
the plasma between the electrodes to a high temperature, with the heated
plasma being contained
between the electrodes as long as a respective electrical pulse is applied and
being explosively
released to form an explosive pressure pulse in the plasma when the respective
electrical pulse is
turned off;
wherein the power core is constructed in the form of a generally cubical or
rectangular
module, said module having a central body section with end pieces on opposite
sides of the central
1
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
section, axially aligned bores extending through the end pieces and central
body section to form the
explosion chamber, the explosion chamber opening through the end pieces so as
to communicate with
an output member, wherein the electrodes are mounted in vertically aligned
bores in the central body
section.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments will be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with
reference to the drawings
in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a power core for a pulsed plasma
engine, consistent with
certain embodiments.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2 -2 of Figure 1 in
combination with a schematic
diagram of an electrical circuit for pulsing the plasma in the power core of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a schematic, fragmentary, vertical sectional view illustrating
operation of the power core
of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of a turbine engine.
Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of a turbine
engine.
Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of a reciprocating
piston engine.
Detailed Description
Embodiments provide a power core, pulsed plasma engine, and method, in which a
noncombustible
gas is introduced into an explosion chamber, the gas is ionized to form a
plasma within the chamber,
an electrical pulse is applied to the plasma to heat the plasma, the pulse is
turned off to produce an
explosive pressure pulse in the plasma, and the plasma is confined in the
chamber by a magnetic field
that directs the pressure pulse toward an output member which is driven by the
pressure pulse.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a power core according to certain
embodiments has an explosion
chamber 11, a pair of electrodes 12, 13, a valve 14 through which a
noncombustible gas such as air is
introduced into the chamber, means 16 for ionizing the gas to form a plasma
within the chamber, a
2
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
circuit 17 for applying electrical pulses to the electrodes to heat the plasma
and produce explosive
pressure pulses, and magnets 18, 19 for creating a magnetic field within the
chamber to confine the
plasma and direct the pressure pulses toward output members such as turbine
wheels or reciprocating
pistons (not shown) at the ends of the chamber.
The power core may be constructed in the form of a generally cubical or
rectangular module 21
having a central body section 22 with end pieces 23, 24 on opposite sides of
the central section.
Axially aligned bores 26 - 28 may extend through the three sections to form
the explosion chamber
which opens through the end pieces. The bores may be generally circular and of
equal diameter, and
the side wall of the chamber may be generally cylindrical. Central body
section 22 may be fabricated
of an insulative ceramic material such as a silicon oxide ceramic, and end
pieces 23, 24 may be
fabricated of an electrically nonconductive ceramic material of low thermal
conductivity. The three
sections may be held together by bolts (not shown) which pass through mounting
holes 29, 30 in the
central section and end pieces.
Electrodes 12, 13 may be mounted in vertically aligned bores 31, 32 in central
body section 22, with
the tips of the electrodes extending into the explosion chamber and 0-rings
33, 34 providing seals
between the electrodes and the walls of the bores. The electrodes may be
fabricated of a high
temperature, electrically conductive material such as tungsten or thoriated
tungsten.
Valve 14 may be a one-way check valve mounted in a horizontally extending
cross bore 36 that
intersects and communicates with the bore for the explosion chamber. The valve
may have an inlet
opening 37 surrounded by a valve seat 38, with a pivotally mounted valve
member 39 that is urged
into sealing engagement with the valve seat by a spring or other suitable
means (not shown). The
valve also has an outlet port 41 that communicates directly with the explosion
chamber, with an 0-
ring 42 providing a seal between the valve body and the wall of the bore. This
valve permits air and
other gases to enter the chamber through the inlet port and prevents them from
escaping from the
chamber.
The means 16 for ionizing the gas to form a plasma may comprise a radiation
ionizer having a source
43 of radioactive material such as Americium, rubidium, or thorium in a
cartridge 44 mounted in a
second horizontally extending cross bore 46 in central body section 22. This
cross bore is aligned with
the first, and it also intersects the bore for the chamber. The cartridge may
be oriented with the
radioactive material facing the chamber and an 0- ring 47 providing a seal
between the cartridge and
the wall of the bore. Alternatively, if desired, the ionization can be done by
other suitable means such
as a high breakdown voltage or high frequency radiation. Ignition circuit 17
may include a source of
high energy pulses comprising a transformer 49 having a primary winding 49a
connected electrically
3
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
in series with a battery 51 and electrodes 12, 13. The winding serves as an
ignition coil, and a
capacitor 52 may be connected across the battery to stiffen the current
applied to the coil. One end of
the primary winding or coil may be connected directly to electrode 12, and the
other end may be
connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The negative terminal may
be connected to the
emitter of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) 53 through an ON/OFF
switch 54 and a fuse 56.
The collector of the IGBT may be connected to the second electrode 13, and a
pulse generator 57 may
be connected to the gate.
A bridge rectifier 59 may be included in the circuit for recharging battery
51. Transformer 49 may be
an adjustable transformer, with one input of the rectifier being connected to
one end of secondary
winding 49b and the other being connected to a variable tap 61 on the
secondary winding. One output
of the rectifier is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the
other is connected to the
negative terminal.
Magnets 18, 19 may be rare earth, radially polarized, permanent ring magnets
and may be disposed
coaxially of the explosion chamber in counterbores 63, 64 toward opposite ends
of the chamber. End
pieces 23, 24 may have axially extending cylindrical flanges 23a, 24a which
extend into the
counterbores and are encircled by the magnets. The end pieces provide heat
shielding for the magnets
and also serve as adapters for mounting the module to the rest of the engine,
including mounting on
the block of a conventional internal combustion engine in place of the
cylinder heads. The end pieces
can be configured as desired to match different engines. In the embodiment of
Figures 1 and 2, they
have conically tapered output ports 23b, 24b which communicate with the
explosion chamber and
open through the outer faces or mounting surfaces 23c, 24c of the end pieces,
and the power core
module is affixed to the rest of the engine by bolts (not shown) passing
through mounting holes 29,
30.
Operation and use of the power core and therein the method of embodiments of
the invention are as
follows. Air flows into explosion chamber 11 through check valve 14, and
ON/OFF switch 54 is
closed to turn on the ignition circuit, with charge from battery 51 building
up on capacitor 52. The air
in the chamber is ionized by radiation from source 43 to create an
electrically conductive plasma
between electrodes 12, 13. Pulses applied to the gate of IGBT 53 by pulse
generator 57 cause the
IGBT to turn on and complete the circuit between transformer winding 49, the
battery, and the
electrodes. This causes a sudden increase in current through the winding and
produces high energy
pulses which are applied to the electrodes. The electrical current flowing
through the electrically
conductive plasma between the electrodes heats the plasma to a very high
temperature, and as long as
each pulse remains on, the heated plasma remains in the gap between the
electrodes. When the pulse
4
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
turns off, the heat is released from the gap in an explosive manner, producing
a high pressure shock
pulse that can be utilized in driving an output member such as a turbine or a
piston.
As illustrated in Figure 3, magnet 18 is polarized and may have its north pole
on the inner side of the
ring and the south pole on the outer side, and magnet 19 is polarized in the
opposite direction and may
have its north pole on the outer side and the south pole on the inner side of
the ring. The magnetic
field created by the magnets confines the plasma 66 within the chamber and
directs the pressure shock
pulses in an axial direction toward the ends of the chamber, as illustrated by
flux lines 67.
The electrical pulses may be rectangular pulses of short duration and fast
rise time, and the
conductivity of the plasma between the electrodes is very high, typically
greater than that of solid
conductors such as gold, silver, or copper. Consequently, when the pulses are
applied to the
electrodes, an arc forms immediately, and the temperature of the plasma rises
very quickly. The
temperature remains substantially constant throughout the arc, with a high arc
temperature of short
duration producing substantially the same pressure in the chamber as one of
longer duration.
The electrical pulses preferably have a width or duration of less than a
millisecond and occur at a rate
on the order of 500 to 1,000 per second, and, depending on the level of the
power or energy applied,
the plasma can reach temperatures on the order of 1,000 to 100,000 C in
nanoseconds. The arc is
likewise turned off in nanoseconds or microseconds when the pulses are turned
off With a 100
kilowatt power supply and a pulse width of one millisecond, for example, the
energy applied to the
electrodes is on the order of 100 joules per millisecond, or 0.1 joules per
microsecond. The heat of the
plasma is contained in the arc while the arc is turned on. When the arc is
turned off, the heat is
explosively released from the arc gap, producing a shock pulse of very short
duration, e.g.,
microseconds. The current flowing through the primary winding of transformer
49 to produce the arc
induces a corresponding current in secondary winding 49b which is rectified by
rectifier 59 and
applied to battery 51 to recharge the battery.
Figure 4 illustrates an engine in which power core 21 drives a pair of turbine
wheels 68, 69. This
engine is shown as being constructed on a platform or base 71, with the power
core mounted on a pair
of support blocks 72 affixed to the base. Turbine wheels 68, 69 are affixed to
output shafts 73, 74
which are rotatably mounted on support blocks 76, 77 affixed to the base at
opposite ends of the
power core. The turbine wheels are radially driven, and the output shafts are
aligned with the axis of
expansion chamber 11, but perpendicular to it, with edge portions of the
wheels being received in
cylindrical recesses 78, 79 in the outer faces of end pieces 23, 24.
5
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
In operation, the axially directed pressure pulses produced by the power core
impinge radially upon
the turbine blades, causing the turbine wheels and output shafts to rotate,
with the pulses being
delivered at a rate on the order of 500 - 1,000 pulses per second.
Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment in which a single axial flow turbine wheel
81 is driven by the
power core. This engine is also shown as being constructed on a platform or
base 82, with the power
core mounted on support blocks 83 affixed to the base. Turbine wheel 81 is
affixed to the input shaft
84a of a generator 84 which is mounted on a support block 86 affixed to the
base at one of the power
core, with shaft 84a in axial alignment with the explosion chamber 11.
In this embodiment, power core 21 differs from the other embodiments in that
air flows into the
explosion chamber through an air gap 88 and the plasma is confined by a
permanent magnet 89 at the
end of the chamber opposite the turbine wheel. The magnet is mounted on a
support bracket 91
affixed to base 82 and is spaced away from the outer face of end piece 23 to
form the air gap. Spacers
92 extend between the end piece and magnet and help to support the magnet
against the force of the
pressure pulses directed toward it when the engine fires. The magnet is
polarized from front to back
and is oriented with its north pole facing out and its south pole facing in so
it can cooperate with ring
magnet 18 to form the magnetic field that confines the plasma to the chamber.
The side wall of the
inlet port 23a in end piece 23 is outwardly inclined and rounded to facilitate
the flow of air between
the air gap and chamber.
In operation, air flows freely into the chamber through the air gap, but once
the air gets ionized in the
chamber, the magnetic field produced by magnet 89 and ring magnet 18 confines
the plasma and
prevents it from escaping from the chamber through the air gap. As in the
other embodiments, the
magnetic field produced by ring magnets 18, 19 also confines the plasma and
directs the pressure
pulses in an axial direction to drive turbine wheel 81 and generator 84.
In the embodiment of Figure 6, the power core is utilized in a reciprocating
piston engine in which
one end of explosion chamber 11 is closed by a plug 93 and a cylinder block 94
is attached to end
piece 24 at the other end of the chamber. The power core module and cylinder
block are held together
by bolts (not shown) that pass through aligned openings 96, 97 in mounting
tabs or lugs 93a, 94a that
extend laterally from end plug 93 and cylinder block 94. A cylinder 98 within
the block is aligned
axially with explosion chamber 11 and in direct communication with the
explosion chamber through
outlet port 24a in end piece 24. A piston 99 is connected to a crankshaft (not
shown) by a connecting
rod 101 and wrist pin 102 for reciprocating motion between top and bottom dead
center positions,
with rings 103, 104 providing a pressure-tight seal between the piston and the
side wall of the
cylinder.
6
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
Means may be provided for monitoring the position of the piston within the
cylinder and controlling
the electric pulses so that the engine fires only when the piston is at or
near its top dead center
position or on a downstroke. This means includes a small magnet 106 which is
mounted in the side
wall or skirt of the piston and a Hall effect sensor 107 which is mounted on
the side wall of the
cylinder block toward the top of the cylinder. The sensor is connected to
ignition circuit 17 to control
the application of pulses to the electrodes.
When the piston is on a downstroke, air is drawn into explosion chamber 11
through a one-way valve
14, as in the embodiments of Figures 1, 2, and 4. When the piston reaches its
top dead center position
and the air between the electrodes is fully ionized, the Hall effect sensor
connects the ignition circuit
to the electrodes to create the arc and produce the pressure pulses in the
plasma. With one end of the
explosion chamber closed by the plug, the pressure pulses produced by the
exploding plasma are all
directed toward the piston to drive it toward bottom dead center. Before the
piston reaches bottom
dead center, the Hall switch disconnects the ignition circuit from the
electrodes and keeps it
disconnected until the piston reaches its top dead center position again.
The invention, in at least some embodiments, has a number of important
features and advantages.
Embodiments provide a highly efficient engine and method utilizing non-
combustible gases such as
air, oxygen, nitrogen, or inert gases. The plasma produced by ionizing the gas
is highly conductive
and is heated to extremely high temperatures by the intense arcing between the
electrodes that occurs
when electrical pulses of short duration are applied. With pulses having a
duration or width of less
than a millisecond and a rate on the order of 500 to 1,000 per second, the
plasma can reach
temperatures as high as 1 ,000 to 100,000 C in nanoseconds. As long as the
arcing continues, the heat
of the plasma is contained in the arc, and when the arc is turned off, the
heat is explosively released,
producing powerful shock pulses which are captured and utilized in driving one
or more output
members such as turbines or pistons.
The efficiency of the engine is enhanced significantly by use of magnetic
confinement to control the
plasma and direct the shock pulses toward the output member(s).
Being constructed in modular form, the power core can be utilized in a wide
variety of engines,
including conventional internal combustion engines where it can be mounted on
the engine block in
place of the cylinder heads and fuel system.
A description of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is
contained in one or more
of the following numbered statements:
7
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
Statement 1. A pulsed plasma engine, comprising a chamber, a pair of
electrodes within the chamber,
means for introducing a noncombustible gas into the chamber, means for
ionizing the gas to form a
plasma within the chamber, means for applying an electrical pulse to the
electrodes to produce heating
of the plasma when the pulse is turned on and an explosive pressure pulse when
the electrical pulse is
turned off, and means for creating a magnetic field within the chamber for
confining the plasma and
directing the pressure pulse to an output member driven by the pressure pulse.
Statement 2. The pulsed plasma engine of Statement 1 wherein the chamber has
an open end through
which the pressure pulse is directed to the output member.
Statement 3. The pulsed plasma engine of Statement 1 or Statement 2 wherein
the chamber has first
and second open ends, and the pressure pulse is directed to first and second
output members through
respective ones of the open ends.
Statement 4. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 1 to 3 wherein
the output member is
a turbine wheel.
Statement 5. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 1 to 4 wherein
the output member is
a piston.
Statement 6. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 1 to 5 wherein
the electrical pulse
has a width of one millisecond or less and is applied approximately 500 - 1
,000 times per second.
Statement 7. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 1 to 6 wherein
the means for
applying an electrical pulse comprises a pulse generator, a power supply
connected to the electrodes
by an isolation transformer and a switch controlled by pulses from the pulse
generator.
Statement 8. The pulsed plasma engine of Statement 7 wherein the power supply
comprises a battery,
a capacitor connected electrically in parallel with the battery, and means
interconnecting the
transformer and the battery such that the battery is recharged by energy from
the transformer.
Statement 9. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 1 to 8 wherein
the noncombustible
gas is air.
Statement 10. A pulsed plasma engine, comprising an axially extending
explosion chamber having
open ends and a generally cylindrical side wall, a pair of electrodes within
the chamber, means for
8
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
introducing a noncombustible gas into the chamber, means for ionizing the gas
to form a plasma
within the chamber, means for applying an electrical pulse to the electrodes
to produce heating of the
plasma when the pulse is turned on and an explosive pressure pulse when the
electrical pulse is turned
off, and magnets disposed coaxially of the chamber on opposite sides of the
electrodes for creating an
axially extending magnetic field within the chamber for confining the plasma
and directing the
pressure pulse toward the open ends of the chamber.
Statement 11. The pulsed plasma engine of Statement 10 wherein the means for
ionizing the gas
comprises a radioactive ionizer.
Statement 12. The pulsed plasma engine of Statement 10 or Statement 11 wherein
the magnets are
permanent ring magnets.
Statement 13. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 10 to 12
wherein the means for
.. introducing a noncombustible gas into the chamber comprises a one-way valve
which communicates
with the chamber.
Statement 14. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 10 to 13
wherein the means for
introducing a noncombustible gas into the chamber comprises an air gap through
which air can pass
into the chamber and magnetic confinement means for preventing the plasma from
passing out of the
chamber through the air gap.
Statement 15. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 10 to 14
further comprising an inlet
port for the noncombustible gas opening through the side wall on one side of
the chamber, and an
________________ ionizer mounted in a compal intent that opens through the
side wall on another side of the chamber.
Statement 16. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 10 to 15
further comprising a
turbine wheel at one end of the chamber driven by the pressure pulse.
Statement 17. The pulsed plasma engine of any one of Statements 10 to 16
further comprising a piston
at one end of the chamber driven by the pressure pulse.
Statement 18. A method of operating an engine to drive an output member,
comprising the steps of:
introducing a noncombustible gas into an explosion chamber which communicates
with the output
member, ionizing the gas to form a plasma within the chamber, applying an
electrical pulse to the
plasma to heat the plasma, turning off the pulse to produce an explosive
pressure pulse in the plasma,
9
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
and magnetically confining the plasma in the chamber and directing the
pressure pulse toward the
output member.
Statement 19. The method of Statement 18 wherein the noncombustible gas is
air.
Statement 20. The method of Statement 18 or Statement 19 wherein the
electrical pulse has a width of
one millisecond or less and is applied approximately 500 - 1 ,000 times per
second.
Statement 21. The method of any one of Statements 18 to 20 wherein the
electrical pulse is applied to
the plasma from a power supply through an isolation transformer and a switch
controlled by pulses
from a pulse generator.
Statement 22. The method of Statement 21 wherein the power supply includes a
battery which is
recharged by energy from the transformer.
It is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improved pulsed plasma engine
and method have
been provided. While only certain presently preferred embodiments have been
described in detail, as
will be apparent to those familiar with the art, certain changes and
modifications can be made without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
10
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
