Magnetic Gas Engine and Method of Extracting Work

Abstract

The present subject matter overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art by introducing or generating charged particles in an air stream and manipulating the air stream with magnetic fields operating on the charged particles. Embodiments of the present subject mater compress the air stream by accelerating charged particles with a moving magnetic field, where the magnetic field has a velocity perpendicular to its flux lines. The increased velocity of the charged particles increases the statistical mean particle velocity and thereby increases the pressure in the air stream. The compressed air stream is then heated and expanded through a second magnetic field. The expansion of the air stream substantially increases the velocity of the air stream and the charged particles therein. The interaction of the high velocity charged particles and the magnetic field imparts a force perpendicular to the flux lines, this force powers the movement of the magnetic field.

What claim is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing thrust to a craft across subsonic to supersonic regimes
 comprising:
 receiving an air stream through an inlet, said air stream having a velocity relative to the craft prior to being received in the inlet; 
 compressing the air stream to a static pressure at or below the stagnation pressure associated with the air stream by decelerating the air stream; and 
 compressing the air stream above the stagnation pressure by adding work to the stream via a magnetic or electric field when the relative air stream velocity is subsonic or less than a predetermined Mach number greater than one; 
 heating the air stream and expanding the heated air stream through a nozzle to provide thrust. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of compressing the air stream above the stagnation pressure comprises ionizing the air stream to a net charge. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of compressing the air stream above the stagnation pressure comprises the steps of: providing a gas stream having a net charge;
 compressing the gas stream, wherein the step of compressing the gas stream comprises exposing the air stream to a moving magnetic field defined by a first set of magnetic flux lines to accelerate particles in the gas stream in a direction normal to the first set of flux lines, thereby compressing the gas stream.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of exposing the expanded air stream to a second magnetic field defined by a second set of magnetic flux lines and, extracting work from movement of the second magnetic field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of compressing the air stream above the stagnation pressure comprises introducing charged particles into the air stream. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the introduction of charged particles is halted when the relative air stream velocity is supersonic or greater or equal to the predetermined Mach number. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the jet engine produces thrust as a ramjet above the predetermined Mach number. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the jet engine produces thrust as a turbo jet below the predetermined Mach number.