US 12,286,943 B2
Turbomolecular air-scoop for satellite air-breathing electric propulsion
Matthew S. Feldman, Los Angeles, CA (US); and Rostislav Spektor, Culver City, CA (US)
Assigned to Viridian Space Corporation, El Segundo, CA (US)
Filed by Viridian Space Corporation, El Segundo, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/970,376.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/270,273, filed on Oct. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0131644 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. F02K 9/44 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/44 (2006.01); F03H 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC F02K 9/44 (2013.01) [B64G 1/402 (2013.01); B64G 1/405 (2013.01); B64G 1/44 (2013.01); F03H 1/0037 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air-scoop comprising:
an air inlet that air molecules enter the air-scoop through at approximately an orbital speed when the air-scoop is moving through an atmosphere at approximately the orbital speed; and
a rotor configured to be rotated by a motor at approximately a rotational speed, wherein:
the rotor comprises a plurality of rotatable blade stages;
each of the rotatable blade stages comprises a blade configuration that comprises a blade aspect ratio and a blade attack angle, wherein the blade aspect ratio is a quotient of blade width and blade separation in the rotatable blade stage;
a first one of the rotatable blade stages is positioned closest among the rotatable blade stages to the air inlet, wherein the blade configuration of the first one of the rotatable blade stages substantially maximizes transparency of the first one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules entering the air-scoop through the air inlet at approximately the orbital speed when the rotor is rotating at approximately the rotational speed; and
a last one of the rotatable blade stages is positioned farthest among the rotatable blade stages from the air inlet, wherein the blade configuration of the last one of the rotatable blade stages substantially maximizes opacity of the last one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules in the air-scoop flowing directionally toward the air inlet when the rotor is rotating at approximately the rotational speed;
wherein the blade configuration of the first one of the rotatable blade stages is different from the blade configuration of the last one of the rotatable blade stages.