Patents by Inventor Curtis Woodruff

Curtis Woodruff 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).

  • Publication number: 20240129573
    Abstract: A processing system receives a user-generated media recording, and metadata associated with the user-generated feedback, from a first device. The user-generated media recording is a recording of the public end-user captured during a live media broadcast using a public-user interface on the first device. The metadata includes information linking the user-generated media recording to the live media broadcast. The system stores the user-generated media recording and the first metadata in one or more storage devices, and transmits a version of the user-generated media recording and at least a portion of the first metadata to a private-user interface on a second device. The private-user interface is configured to receive input from a private end-user selecting the version of the user-generated media recording for broadcast during the same live media broadcast during which the user-generated media recording was created.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Curtis Mitchell, Michael Scott Woodruff, Adam Michael Roberts, Steven Douglas Wight, Siu Leung Chan, Jacob Earl Bolton, Stephen William Bain, Qian Chang, Davis Scott Harlan
  • Publication number: 20220106944
    Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) has an anode, a coaxial insulator, and a fiber propellant feed system. At least two cathodes insulated from each other are configured about the coaxial insulator to define an interior profile shaped into a nozzle region. At least one igniter fitted through each cathode. Wherein when the igniters are triggered, the igniters expel electrons toward the anode to ignite a primary high energy discharge between the anode and the cathodes thereby creating a plasma that vaporizes the fiber propellant. The dissociated fiber propellant combines with the primary high energy discharge to create a partially or fully ionized plasma, that is electromagnetically and electrothermally accelerated to produce predominantly {right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)}{right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)} thrust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll, Magdalena Parta
  • Patent number: 11242844
    Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) utilizes a motor to feed PTFE fiber to its discharge region, enabling high PPT propellant throughput and variable exposed fuel area. A highly parallel ceramic capacitor bank lowers system specific mass. Impulse bits (I-bits) from 0.057-0.241 mN-s have been measured on a thrust stand with a specific impulse (Isp) of 900-2400 s, representing an enhancement from state-of-the-art PPT technology. A 1 U (10 cm×10 cm×10 cm, or 1 liter) volume FPPT thruster package will provide 2900-7700 N-s total impulse, enabling 0.6-1.6 km/s delta-V for a 5 kg CubeSat. A 1 U design variation with 590 g propellant enables as much as ˜10,000 N-s and a delta-V of 2 km/s for a 5 kg CubeSat. Increasing the form factor to 2U increases propellant mass to 1.4 kg and delta-V to 10.7 km/s for an 8 kg CubeSat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll
  • Patent number: 10724480
    Abstract: The monofilament vaporization propulsion system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a mechanical feed, an elongated barrel, a heater block, a tube, and a nozzle. A monofilament solid propellant is wound around a spool and fed into the mechanical feed. The elongated barrel is configured to receive the solid propellant towards a second end. The heater block is positioned near the second end of the barrel and configured to heat the propellant into a liquid propellant as the solid propellant moves towards the second end. The tube receives the liquid propellant and is configured to evaporate the liquid propellant into a gaseous propellant. The gaseous propellant enters a nozzle in communication with the tube. The gaseous propellant being fed into the nozzle entrance expands there-through to create propulsion out an nozzle exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll, Neil John Nejmanowski
  • Patent number: 10570892
    Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) will enable enhanced low Earth orbit, cis-lunar, and deep space missions for small satellites. FPPT technology utilizes an electric motor to feed PTFE fiber to its discharge region, enabling high PPT propellant throughput and variable exposed fuel area. An innovative, parallel ceramic capacitor bank dramatically lowers system specific mass. FPPT minimizes range safety concerns by the use of non-pressurized, non-toxic, inert propellant and construction materials. Estimates are that a 1U (10 cm×10 cm×10 cm, or 1 liter) volume FPPT thruster package may provide more than 10,000 N-s total impulse and a delta-V of 1.4 km/s delta-V for an 8 kg CubeSat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: CU AEROSPACE, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll
  • Publication number: 20200032777
    Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) utilizes a motor to feed PTFE fiber to its discharge region, enabling high PPT propellant throughput and variable exposed fuel area. A highly parallel ceramic capacitor bank lowers system specific mass. Impulse bits (I-bits) from 0.057-0.241 mN-s have been measured on a thrust stand with a specific impulse (Isp) of 900-2400 s, representing an enhancement from state-of-the-art PPT technology. A 1U (10 cm×10 cm×10 cm, or 1 liter) volume FPPT thruster package will provide 2900-7700 N-s total impulse, enabling 0.6-1.6 km/s delta-V for a 5 kg CubeSat. A 1U design variation with 590 g propellant enables as much as ˜10,000 N-s and a delta-V of 2 km/s for a 5 kg CubeSat. Increasing the form factor to 2U increases propellant mass to 1.4 kg and delta-V to 10.7 km/s for an 8 kg CubeSat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll
  • Publication number: 20200025183
    Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) will enable enhanced low Earth orbit, cis-lunar, and deep space missions for small satellites. FPPT technology utilizes an electric motor to feed PTFE fiber to its discharge region, enabling high PPT propellant throughput and variable exposed fuel area. An innovative, parallel ceramic capacitor bank dramatically lowers system specific mass. FPPT minimizes range safety concerns by the use of non-pressurized, non-toxic, inert propellant and construction materials. Estimates are that a 1 U (10 cm×10 cm×10 cm, or 1 liter) volume FPPT thruster package may provide more than 10,000 N-s total impulse and a delta-V of 1.4 km/s delta-V for an 8 kg CubeSat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Woodruff, Darren King, Rodney Burton, David L. Carroll
  • Patent number: 9909574
    Abstract: A method for operating self-pressurizing propellants in space thruster chambers and nozzles heated by resistive, radiative or nuclear methods at temperatures hundreds of degrees above the decomposition temperature. The method is defined by reducing the chamber volume Vc and increasing the nozzle throat area A* such that a propellant vapor with sonic velocity a* experiences a high temperature residence time that is less than 10 milliseconds. In other aspects of the invention propellant vapor is formed from a self-pressurizing propellant and the residence time is such that the propellant vapor does not decompose nor does the propellant vapor polymerize to a solid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: CU Aerospace, LLC
    Inventors: Neil J. Heimanowski, Curtis A. Woodruff, Rodney L. Burton, David L. Carroll