Patents by Inventor Benjamin Longmier
Benjamin Longmier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20220204188Abstract: A satellite includes a housing, a circuit board containing circuitry, a battery electrically connected to the circuit board, a tank, an expandable balloon disposed in the tank, a heater, a valve providing liquid communication between the tank and the heater when in an open position and providing no liquid communication between the tank and the heater when in a closed position, and a nozzle having an orifice in liquid communication with the heater. Operating the satellite includes partially filling the expandable balloon with a gas, loading liquid fuel into the tank, launching the satellite into space, opening the valve to cause the liquid fuel from the tank to pass into the heater under pressure provided by the gas in the expandable balloon, activating the heater to heat and vaporize the liquid fuel into a fuel vapor, and expelling the fuel vaper out of the nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2021Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Benjamin LONGMIER, David HASH
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Patent number: 11365016Abstract: A plasma propulsion system with no internal electrodes is described. Gas is flowed into an insulated axisymmetric plasma liner. A radio frequency antenna generates an inductive or helicon plasma discharge within the liner. The plasma is accelerated through a converging/diverging magnetic field out of the liner, generating thrust.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2014Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANInventors: Benjamin Longmier, John Patrick Sheehan, Alec D. Gallimore
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Patent number: 11325727Abstract: A magnetic nozzle having a converging/diverging contour shape that converts the thermal energy of a propellant into directed kinetic energy, but uses magnetic fields instead of a physical boundary to direct the flow of particles.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2014Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANInventors: Benjamin Longmier, John Patrick Sheehan
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Patent number: 10745152Abstract: A satellite that includes a housing, a circuit board containing circuitry and disposed in the housing, a battery disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, one or more weights disposed in the housing, wherein the one or more weights are disposed away from a center of the housing, one or more solar panels on the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, and an antenna electrically connected to the circuit board and including at least one segment that extends out of the housing. When multiple satellites are launched into orbit having different mass weights, they move away from each other at least partially because of the weight difference. In orbit, each satellite is subjected to aerodynamic drag torque and gravity gradient torque.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: SWARM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Sara Spangelo, Benjamin Longmier
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Publication number: 20180346155Abstract: A satellite that includes a housing, a circuit board containing circuitry and disposed in the housing, a battery disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, one or more weights disposed in the housing, wherein the one or more weights are disposed away from a center of the housing, one or more solar panels on the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, and an antenna electrically connected to the circuit board and including at least one segment that extends out of the housing. When multiple satellites are launched into orbit having different mass weights, they move away from each other at least partially because of the weight difference. In orbit, each satellite is subjected to aerodynamic drag torque and gravity gradient torque.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Sara Spangelo, Benjamin Longmier
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Publication number: 20170069399Abstract: A fusion reactor includes a vacuum chamber, a fuel source for providing fuel to the vacuum chamber, an evacuation pump for evacuating the fuel from the vacuum chamber, a first electrode disposed in the vacuum chamber and at a chamber axis, a second electrode disposed in the vacuum chamber (which includes an aperture through which the chamber axis extends), magnets disposed in the vacuum chamber for producing a magnetic field along the chamber axis, and control electronics. The control electronics control the fuel source and the evacuation pump to provide a low pressure of the fuel in the vacuum chamber, provide a voltage to the first electrode for producing an electron beam along the chamber axis and through the aperture of the second electrode, and provide one or more voltages to the second electrode for compressing the fuel toward the chamber axis to induce nuclear fusion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2016Publication date: March 9, 2017Inventor: Benjamin LONGMIER
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Publication number: 20160207642Abstract: A plasma propulsion system with no internal electrodes is described. Gas is flowed into an insulated axisymmetric plasma liner. A radio frequency antenna generates an inductive or helicon plasma discharge within the liner. The plasma is accelerated through a converging/diverging magnetic field out of the liner, generating thrust.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2014Publication date: July 21, 2016Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANInventors: Benjamin LONGMIER, John Patrick SHEEHAN, Alec D. GALLIMORE
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Publication number: 20160200458Abstract: A magnetic nozzle having a converging/diverging contour shape that converts the thermal energy of a propellant into directed kinetic energy, but uses magnetic fields instead of a physical boundary to direct the flow of particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2014Publication date: July 14, 2016Inventors: Benjamin LONGMIER, John Patrick SHEEHAN
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Publication number: 20160096612Abstract: A payload delivery and recovery system, having a payload including a data collection device arranged to collect data, and a controllable ascent vehicle comprising a controllable lighter than air (LTA) mechanism detachably coupled to the payload and used during an ascent phase to deliver the payload to a pre-determined altitude. The LTA mechanism includes low cost super-pressure balloons.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Benjamin Longmier, John Mark Guthery, John Patrick Sheehan
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Publication number: 20160018823Abstract: A payload delivery and recovery system, having a payload including a data collection device arranged to collect data, and a controllable ascent vehicle comprising a controllable lighter than air (LTA) mechanism detachably coupled to the payload and used during an ascent phase to deliver the payload to a pre-determined altitude. The payload delivery and recovery system also having a controllable descent mechanism releasably attached to the controllable ascent vehicle and that can be used during a descent phase for reducing a rate of descent of the payload subsequent to release of the payload at the pre-determined altitude and including a control system for navigating the payload to a desired ground location during a recovery phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Benjamin LONGMIER, John Mark GUTHERY, Benjamin Natan WACHS, Roman Andrew KOZAK, John Patrick SHEEHAN, Simon Rubin HALPERN
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Patent number: 7875867Abstract: An electron generating device extracts electrons, through an electron sheath, from plasma produced using RF fields. The electron sheath is located near a grounded ring at one end of a negatively biased conducting surface, which is normally a cylinder. Extracted electrons pass through the grounded ring in the presence of a steady state axial magnetic field. Sufficiently large magnetic fields and/or RF power into the plasma allow for helicon plasma generation. The ion loss area is sufficiently large compared to the electron loss area to allow for total non-ambipolar extraction of all electrons leaving the plasma. Voids in the negatively-biased conducting surface allow the time-varying magnetic fields provided by the antenna to inductively couple to the plasma within the conducting surface. The conducting surface acts as a Faraday shield, which reduces any time-varying electric fields from entering the conductive surface, i.e. blocks capacitive coupling between the antenna and the plasma.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research FoundationInventors: Noah Hershkowitz, Benjamin Longmier, Scott Baalrud
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Publication number: 20090140176Abstract: An electron generating device extracts electrons, through an electron sheath, from plasma produced using RF fields. The electron sheath is located near a grounded ring at one end of a negatively biased conducting surface, which is normally a cylinder. Extracted electrons pass through the grounded ring in the presence of a steady state axial magnetic field. Sufficiently large magnetic fields and/or RF power into the plasma allow for helicon plasma generation. The ion loss area is sufficiently large compared to the electron loss area to allow for total non-ambipolar extraction of all electrons leaving the plasma. Voids in the negatively-biased conducting surface allow the time-varying magnetic fields provided by the antenna to inductively couple to the plasma within the conducting surface. The conducting surface acts as a Faraday shield, which reduces any time-varying electric fields from entering the conductive surface, i.e. blocks capacitive coupling between the antenna and the plasma.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2008Publication date: June 4, 2009Inventors: Noah Hershkowitz, Benjamin Longmier, Scott Baalrud
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Patent number: 7498592Abstract: An electron generating device extracts electrons, through an electron sheath, from plasma produced using RF fields. The electron sheath is located near a grounded ring at one end of a negatively biased conducting surface, which is normally a cylinder. Extracted electrons pass through the grounded ring in the presence of a steady state axial magnetic field. Sufficiently large magnetic fields and/or RF power into the plasma allow for helicon plasma generation. The ion loss area is sufficiently large compared to the electron loss area to allow for total non-ambipolar extraction of all electrons leaving the plasma. Voids in the negatively-biased conducting surface allow the time-varying magnetic fields provided by the antenna to inductively couple to the plasma within the conducting surface. The conducting surface acts as a Faraday shield, which reduces any time-varying electric fields from entering the conductive surface, i.e. blocks capacitive coupling between the antenna and the plasma.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2006Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research FoundationInventors: Noah Hershkowitz, Benjamin Longmier, Scott Baalrud
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Publication number: 20080067430Abstract: An electron generating device extracts electrons, through an electron sheath, from plasma produced using RF fields. The electron sheath is located near a grounded ring at one end of a negatively biased conducting surface, which is normally a cylinder. Extracted electrons pass through the grounded ring in the presence of a steady state axial magnetic field. Sufficiently large magnetic fields and/or RF power into the plasma allow for helicon plasma generation. The ion loss area is sufficiently large compared to the electron loss area to allow for total non-ambipolar extraction of all electrons leaving the plasma. Voids in the negatively-biased conducting surface allow the time-varying magnetic fields provided by the antenna to inductively couple to the plasma within the conducting surface. The conducting surface acts as a Faraday shield, which reduces any time-varying electric fields from entering the conductive surface, i.e. blocks capacitive coupling between the antenna and the plasma.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2006Publication date: March 20, 2008Inventors: Noah Hershkowitz, Benjamin Longmier, Scott Baalrud