Patents by Inventor Richard Robert Hofer

Richard Robert Hofer 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).

  • Metallic wall hall thrusters
    Patent number: 9874202
    Abstract: A Hall thruster apparatus having walls constructed from a conductive material, such as graphite, and having magnetic shielding of the walls from the ionized plasma has been demonstrated to operate with nearly the same efficiency as a conventional nonmagnetically shielded design using insulators as wall components. The new design is believed to provide the potential of higher power and uniform operation over the operating life of a thruster device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Dan Michael Goebel, Richard Robert Hofer, Ioannis G. Mikellides
  • METALLIC WALL HALL THRUSTERS
    Publication number: 20160333866
    Abstract: A Hall thruster apparatus having walls constructed from a conductive material, such as graphite, and having magnetic shielding of the walls from the ionized plasma has been demonstrated to operate with nearly the same efficiency as a conventional nonmagnetically shielded design using insulators as wall components. The new design is believed to provide the potential of higher power and uniform operation over the operating life of a thruster device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Dan Michael GOEBEL, Richard Robert HOFER, Ioannis G. MIKELLIDES
  • Metallic wall hall thrusters
    Patent number: 9453502
    Abstract: A Hall thruster apparatus having walls constructed from a conductive material, such as graphite, and having magnetic shielding of the walls from the ionized plasma has been demonstrated to operate with nearly the same efficiency as a conventional non-magnetically shielded design using insulators as wall components. The new design is believed to provide the potential of higher power and uniform operation over the operating life of a thruster device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Dan Michael Goebel, Richard Robert Hofer, Ioannis G. Mikellides
  • METALLIC WALL HALL THRUSTERS
    Publication number: 20140053531
    Abstract: A Hall thruster apparatus having walls constructed from a conductive material, such as graphite, and having magnetic shielding of the walls from the ionized plasma has been demonstrated to operate with nearly the same efficiency as a conventional non-magnetically shielded design using insulators as wall components. The new design is believed to provide the potential of higher power and uniform operation over the operating life of a thruster device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Dan Michael Goebel, Richard Robert Hofer, Ioannis G. Mikellides