Patents by Inventor Ethan C. Culler

Ethan C. Culler 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).

  • Patent number: 12650100
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reconditioning a small amount of propellant for a rocket thruster are disclosed. The propellant may be liquid hydrogen (LH2). Reconditioning LH2 propellant may involve ensuring the propellant has a favorable temperature and pressure for use in a thruster. Embodiments involve temperature and pressure management of the propellant. Reconditioning may be performed subsequent to a long-duration burn by a thruster or after long-term storage of the propellant, which may experience boiloff. For short-duration thruster burns, pressurizing a relatively large supply tank may be considered excessive in the sense that more effort than necessary is expended for this large-scale pressurization. Thus, the systems and methods described herein may avoid such large-scale pressurization and instead pressurize a relatively small propellant tank, which is sufficient for short-duration thruster burns and requires relatively little effort to pressurize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Andrew Swenson, Jeffrey Yearsley, Ethan C. Culler