Electromagnetic energy propulsion engine

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic propulsion engine comprising:

a hollow housing having a central axis, a forward wall, a side wall portion, and a magnetically transparent rear wall;

a forward electromagnetic field generating means within said housing for generating a rearwardly directed magnetic field toward said rear wall and parallel to said central axis;

a rearward electromagnetic field generating means between said forward generating means and said rear wall for producing a forwardly directed magnetic field parallel to said central axis and opposing said rearwardly directed magnetic field, said rearwardly directed magnetic field repelling forwardly directed pulses of said forwardly directed magnetic field generated by said rearward magnetic field generating means;

means for providing controlled pulses of electric power having predetermined durations to said field generating means, so that sudden reduction of electrical current conduction in said rearward field generating means during continuing rearward directed magnetic field force of said forward magnetic field generating means causes a pulse of magnetic field energy of said rearward magnetic field generating means to be transmitted from the rear of the propulsion engine as said magnetic field of said forward field generating means is projected with a sudden action through said magnetically transparent rear wall, producing a rapid reduction of magnetic field intensity inside said housing and a corresponding combined forward thrust to said housing.

2. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises:

means for providing magnetic barriers for reflecting and guiding magnetic fields along inner walls of said forward wall and side wall portion; and

means for shielding objects and individuals outside of and in proximity to said forward wall and side wall portion and providing capacity for maximum transmission of magnetic energy through said rear wall as pulses of magnetic field energy having a major component of transmission direction along said central axis of said housing.

3. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

engine structural members in said housing for supporting said field generating means and constructed of materials having minimum impedance to the passage of magnetic field energies inside said housing and mechanical rigidity, strength and high temperature stability; and

means for minimizing the presence of internal ionized atmospheres in said housing.

4. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said forward and rearward electromagnetic field generators comprise superconducting elements; and

said means for providing controlled pulses of electric power comprises means for initiating and terminating superconduction of electric current in said superconducting elements of said rearward field generating means while maintaining superconduction of electric current in said superconducting elements of said forward field generating means, and maintaining an electrical potential opposing reverse current flow in said rearward magnetic field generating means when the magnetic field energy of said rearward field generating means is being transmitted from said rear of the engine.

5. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said forward and rearward electromagnetic field generating means comprise superconducting elements; and further comprising

means for providing commutation of said electromagnetic field energy generated by said rearward field generating means comprising said superconducting elements in said forward magnetic field generating means having the ability to withstand more intense magnetic fields before ceasing superconduction than said superconducting elements of said rearward magnetic field generating means.

6. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said forward and rearward electromagnetic field generating means comprise superconductors; and

said superconductors of said forward electromagnetic field generating means continue conducting electric current at superconduction levels while said superconductors of said rearward electromagnetic field generating means are commutated between time periods of high superconduction current flow and periods of no current flow or low non-superconduction current flow.

7. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means for providing controlled pulses of electric power comprises:

power source means;

control computer means connected to said power source means; and

power pulse generator means connected to said forward and rearward electromagnetic field generating means, said control computer means and said power source means for ensuring that said forward electromagnetic field generating means produces a rearward directed magnetic field force and said rearward electromagnetic field generating means produces a forward directed magnetic field force opposing said rearward directed field force,-the direction of said field forces being measured along or parallel to said central axis of said housing.

8. An electromagnetic propulsion engine a claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said field generating means comprises respective superconducting means designed and fabricated of superconduction materials; and

said means for providing controlled pulses of electric power comprises electronic control means for generating a succession of pulses of thrust at independently determined frequencies and with independently determined times and magnitudes of superconductor current flow, thereby controlling the time averaged magnitude of the total thrust obtainable from the engine.

9. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said forward and rearward electromagnetic field generating means comprise separate coils of superconducting elements;

means are provided for maintaining said superconducting elements at substantially the same temperature during operation; and

said superconducting elements used to generate said rearward directed magnetic field force have a higher critical magnetic field at which they will cease superconduction than said superconducting elements that generate said forward directed magnetic field.

10. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 9 wherein:

said temperature maintaining means comprises magnetic refrigeration means comprising a first chamber containing a magnetically active salt and a second chamber containing a liquid gas, and a superconducting switch connecting said chambers in said housing for using a portion of said pulsed magnetic field energies of said magnetic field generators for cooling said liquid gas and removing thermal energies produced in the operation of said pulsed magnetic field generating means.

11. An electromagnetic propulsion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said housing comprises internal conformations inside of said side wall portion proximate the rear of said housing for enhancing the guidance and transmission of the magnetic field energies generated inside said housing to assist the movement and emission of magnetic field energies along the inside of said housing and through said rear wall.

12. A propulsion engine as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising:

a liquid gas cooling chamber shroud in said housing and surrounding said field generating means;

a high vacuum thermal isolation vessel in said housing and surrounding said liquid gas cooling shroud; and

thermal isolating transformer means in said liquid gas cooling chamber shroud for transmitting electric power from said means for providing controlled pulses of electric power to said electromagnetic field generating means.

13. A vehicle for using the electromagnetic propulsion engine claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a vehicle body incorporating said housing;

means for causing said vehicle body to rotate about said central axis for imparting greater vertical stability to the orientation of said vehicle when flying in a gravitation field of an astronomical body; and

means for controlling the rate of rotation of said vehicle body about said central axis so that a centrifugal force is applied to individuals inside said vehicle, said centrifugal force having a similar magnitude to gravitational attraction force of a planet on which said individuals normally live.

14. An electromagnetic energy propulsion engine system comprising:

a cylindrical housing of ferromagnetic material;

end windows in ends of said housing made of material that is transparent to the passage of electromagnetic fields;

an engine axis substantially centrally disposed parallel to the central axis of said cylindrical housing;

four superconducting electromagnetic field generating solenoid windings mounted end to end on a shaft and supported inside said housing comprising two center field generating windings and two outer field generating windings;

a superconducting initiating and controlled toroidal winding for each of said four field generating solenoidal windings;

fifth and sixth electromagnetic field generating windings circumscribing and surrounding in coaxial relationship said center field generating windings so that the electromagnetic field generated by each of said fifth and sixth field generating windings repels the field of the respective center field generating winding radially inwardly thereof for adding dynamism and axial extension to the field of said respective center field generating winding;

said center field generating windings being designed to carry superconducting electrical and magnetic currents continuously during operation of said engine;

said outer two field generating windings being designed and constructed to operate in a repetitive pulsing mode and alternatively to produce thrust in either direction selectively parallel to said central axis;

liquid gas chamber means within said housing and surrounding said electromagnetic field generating windings;

vacuum chamber means surrounding said liquid gas chamber means in said housing;

an external electrical power source;

an external control computer operatively connected to said power source;

a power pulse generator means operatively connected to said power source; and

switching means operated by said computer means for connecting electric power from said power source through said power pulse generator means and through said housing to said respective electromagnetic field generating windings for producing superconduction current generated electromagnetic repelling force to transmit highly intensive electromagnetic fields of energy selectively through either of said end windows by a slingshot effect so that a reaction to momentum imparted to said fields of energy produce pulses of thrust on the engine.

15. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 and further comprising:

means for applying a pulse of potential of polarity to said pulsed field generator windings for momentarily inhibiting from collapsing and heating the respective generator windings producing energy in a momentarily unsupported electromagnetic field that is being repelled by a respective field.

16. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 wherein:

said means for producing thrust comprises means for producing said thrust in either direction parallel to said axis.

17. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 wherein:

said pulsed electromagnetic field generator is constructed to cease conducting superconduction currents at a predetermined electromagnetic field intensity to which it is subjected exceeding the critical magnetic field intensity for the superconductor winding thereof.

18. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 wherein:

said pulsed electromagnetic field generator comprises superconducting elements; and

means are provided for initiating and terminating on command the superconduction of electric and magnetic currents in said pulse operated superconducting elements.

19. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 wherein:

means are provided for producing a strong electromagnetic repelling force between two electromagnetic fields, one of said fifth and sixth field generating windings producing said repelling force ceasing to conduct electric and magnetic currents at a point in time when continuing field energy of a respective center field generating winding sweeping through the pulsed field generating winding as the opposing field energy is being transmitted produces a pulse of potential across the winding of the pulsed field generating winding that opposes the induction of any reverse flow of currents in the pulsed field generating winding by tendency of the field that is being transmitted to collapse.

20. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said computer means comprises:

a control computer;

sensor inputs to said computer; and

manual override inputs to said computer, so that time averaged thrust from a plurality of pulses of said thrust is determined by said control computer in response to a combination of programmed controlled information and said sensor inputs.

21. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 and further comprising:

magnetic refrigeration means mounted inside said housing for utilizing part of the energy from said electromagnetic field pulses for assisting in maintaining a liquid gas state of said coolant of the engine.

22. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 and further comprising:

spaces inside said engine housing and outside said liquid gas chamber means and said high vacuum chamber means; and

spark quenching gas of pressurized sulfur hexafluoride filling said spaces.

23. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 and further comprising:

a plurality of power and signal energy input and output transformers having one winding mounted outside said liquid gas chamber means and a second winding mounted inside said liquid gas chamber means for maintaining a minimum of thermal energy transfer into cold regions of the engine within said liquid gas chamber means, and for providing for superconduction on said inside transformer windings constructed of superconducting materials.

24. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14 and further comprising:

sensing devices mounted on said engine inside said housing for indicating temperature and the levels of force generated between propelling electromagnetic force-generating members and members providing said field energy; and

means for connecting said sensing devices to said computer means.

25. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 24 wherein:

said force sensing devices comprise crystal strain gauges.

26. A propulsion engine system as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising:

pulse operated superconducting electrical coils mounted on said housing about peripheries of said end windows for producing radially inwardly directed electromagnetic force fields for altering the direction of thrust by acting o the propulsion producing electromagnetic fields transmitted through said end windows to provide directional control of a vehicle on which said engine is mounted.