PLASMA ENGINE Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: aeronautical engineering; flying vehicles. SUBSTANCE: discharge chamber of plasma engine consists of two pipes mounted coaxially: outer pipe is used as cathode and inner pipe is used as anode. Starting chambers connected with gas supply are mounted on the outside of discharge chamber. All walls of starting chamber are coated with quartz glass in their center portion, reservoir filled with mercury being mounted in lower portion. Mercury-vapor lamps are used for ionization of gas in starting chambers. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of engine and reduced consumption of gas. 2 cl, 2 dwg