Abstract: A system for augmenting the apparent velocity and effectiveness of an airfoil, such as a wing, on a vehicle includes at least one ionizer or emitter positioned relative to the airfoil to ionize a fluid media in which the airfoil travels and at least one attractor/receiver for accelerating the flow of ionized fluid media over the airfoil. The system further includes a voltage source to which each ionizer and each attractor is electrically connected.

Abstract: The bearing system includes a first component having a first substrate and a first coating. The first coating includes a DLC layer and a DLN layer between the DLC layer and the substrate. A second component is in sliding engagement with the first component.

Abstract: A propulsion system for creating a propulsive force has a combustion chamber, a pair of electrodes within the combustion chamber and a power supply attached to the electrodes to create a high voltage field within an initiation zone of the combustion chamber, and an injector for introducing a propellant, preferably in atomized form, into the high voltage field for creating the propulsive force. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the propellant is hydrogen peroxide. In another embodiment of the present invention, a second propellant is introduced into the combustion chamber for increasing the propulsive force.

Abstract: An ion drive system for creating a propulsion force or thrust has at least one stage having an emitter and an attractor spaced from the emitter by a gap. An ionizable dielectric media is located within the gap. The drive system further has a propellant source for introducing a propellant in the vicinity of the emitter and a power source for creating a high intensity field in the vicinity of the emitter to ionize the dielectric media and a diffused field in the vicinity of the attractor to accelerate the ions away from the emitter and thereby create a propulsive force. In a preferred embodiment, the ion drive system has a plurality of stages.