Folded Acceleration Propulsion Engine for Gravitational Slingshot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air and space travel methods rely heavily on fuel, resulting in high propellant mass fractions, which pose efficiency, cost, and safety issues due to the need for continuous propulsion and significant fuel weights, especially for interstellar travel where reusable propellant systems are lacking.
Innovation Solution
The development of a folded acceleration propulsion engine (FAPE) that utilizes non-ejectable propellant to generate vectorial acceleration through gravitational fields, leveraging the slingshot effect and centrifugal force to amplify and harvest gravitational energy, allowing for cyclic acceleration and deceleration in various directions to achieve efficient propulsion without significant propellant loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional fuel-based propulsion is used for air and space travel, then vehicles can achieve continuous propulsion and overcome gravity, but the propellant mass fraction becomes very high (80-90% for space vehicles), resulting in efficiency losses, increased costs, and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional chemical propulsion systems with a gravitational field-based propulsion system. The vehicle uses a gravitational assist mechanism that leverages the gravitational field of celestial bodies to accelerate without consuming propellant for the primary propulsion function. This substitution of mechanical/chemical propulsion with gravitational field interaction directly addresses the contradiction by eliminating the need for large amounts of propellant while maintaining propulsion capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gravitational field as an intermediary medium between the vehicle and the propulsion function. Instead of the vehicle directly generating thrust through propellant ejection, it uses the gravitational field of external celestial bodies as a mediator to provide acceleration. This intermediary approach allows the vehicle to gain propulsion efficiency without carrying large amounts of propellant mass
2Reliability
If significant fuel weights are carried for continuous propulsion, then vehicles can maintain propulsion capability throughout the journey, but the vehicle weight increases substantially, requiring more powerful engines and creating a feedback loop of increasing mass requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the propulsion function from the vehicle's own mass by utilizing external gravitational fields. Instead of carrying all the necessary propellant mass within the vehicle, the system extracts propulsion capability from the gravitational fields of celestial bodies along the trajectory. This extraction principle allows continuous propulsion capability without the vehicle weight increasing to accommodate large propellant loads
Solution Approach 2:
The gravitational field propulsion system provides multi-functionality by serving as both the propulsion mechanism and the means to overcome gravity. The same gravitational assist mechanism that provides acceleration also enables orbital insertion, trajectory correction, and gravity well escape, eliminating the need for separate propulsion systems for different mission phases and reducing overall vehicle mass requirements
3Speed
If high propellant mass fractions are used for interstellar travel, then vehicles can achieve the necessary velocity changes, but the fuel requirements become unsustainable for long-duration missions, requiring frequent resupply missions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic gravitational assist maneuvers where the vehicle repeatedly interacts with gravitational fields of stars and celestial bodies along its interstellar trajectory. Instead of continuous propellant consumption, the vehicle performs periodic slingshot maneuvers around stellar objects to accumulate velocity changes over time. This periodic action principle enables sustained mission duration without frequent resupply by converting gravitational field interactions into cumulative propulsion effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary gravitational acceleration phases where the vehicle builds up velocity through multiple gravitational assist maneuvers before committing to long-duration cruise phases. By performing preliminary velocity acquisition through gravitational slingshots around stars and celestial bodies, the vehicle reduces the propellant mass fraction needed for the main interstellar transit, making long-duration missions sustainable without frequent resupply
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables vehicles to travel efficiently through space with minimal propellant, achieving higher specific impulse and thrust-to-weight ratios, allowing for altitude adjustments and interstellar travel with reduced fuel requirements, potentially eliminating the need for frequent resupply and enhancing space mission sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
accelerating the one or more propellant masses cyclically in a selected average vectorial direction which generates and amplifies local gravity assist and allows for harvesting that locally generated extra gravity assist boost
Implementation Method 2
The Moon is gravitating around Earth, and a centrifugal force is strong enough to repel the Moon away from Earth
Data Source
AI summary
A propulsion engine and its use in a vehicle and method for space propulsion of a vehicle in a gravitational field for orbital altitude control or travel in deep space. The propulsion engine of the vehicle employs non-ejectable propellant masses that are accelerated cyclically in a selected average vectorial direction between two random and distinctive points following any random path with a mean central point, thereby generating and amplifying local gravity assist. The acceleration of the non-ejectable propellant masses causes the propulsion engine to accelerate the vehicle away from the source of the gravitational field to a tangential velocity that matches or exceeds the stable tangential velocity to maintain or raise the vehicle to a second stable orbital altitude, or continuously and locally generates gravity assist boost moving through the cosmic gravitational field lines in deep space.