US 12,404,041 B2
Bi-modal chemical-electric space propulsion
Paulo C. Lozano, Arlington, MA (US); and Amelia Bruno, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 18/268,686
Filed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 20, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/055724
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 21, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/139942, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 30, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/128,693, filed on Dec. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0076062 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. B64G 1/26 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/4026 (2023.08) [B64G 1/26 (2013.01); B64G 1/4021 (2023.08); B64G 1/411 (2023.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A propulsion system comprising:
a tank configured to hold an ionic liquid at a first pressure;
at least one electrical thruster in selective fluid communication with the tank, wherein the first pressure is greater than an operational pressure range of the at least one electrical thruster;
at least one capillary positioned along a flow path between the tank and the at least one electrical thruster, the at least one capillary in fluid communication with the tank and the at least one electrical thruster; and
at least one conduit fluidly coupling the at least one capillary and the at least one electrical thruster, wherein the ionic liquid does not wet a material of the at least one conduit,
wherein the at least one capillary is configured to de-pressurize the ionic liquid from the first pressure to a second pressure less than the first pressure,
wherein the second pressure is below a vapor pressure of at least one volatile component of the ionic liquid, and
wherein the second pressure is within the operational pressure range of the at least one electrical thruster.