China Patent CN111114774B: Rotorless Flying Saucer Powered by Electromagnetic Field (Zhejiang University)
Patent Number: CN111114774B Title: A Rotorless Flying Saucer Powered by an Electromagnetic Field and Its Flight Method Inventors: 孟渚 (Meng Zhu), 于惠泽 (Yu Huize) Assignee: Zhejiang University (ZJU) — one of China's top-ranked research universities Filed: December 31, 2019; Published 2020-05-08; Granted 2021-10-22 Status: Active — anticipated expiration 2039-12-31 Worldwide applications: CN 2019, JP 2020, WO 2020 Jurisdiction: China (foreign) Track Directory (Physics_Math): 1_Track/ — ion current driven by changing AC magnetic field; Lorentz force F = J×B propulsion for independent lift and horizontal thrust modules; rotating EM field disc craft
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Abstract (Google-translated from Chinese)
"The invention discloses a rotorless flying saucer powered by an electromagnetic field and a flying method thereof. The flying saucer includes a control unit, an analysis unit, and an execution unit. The flying saucer execution unit includes a lift module that provides lift for the flying saucer and a horizontal plane power module that provides the flying saucer with forward power in all directions. The lift module generates an ion current through an ion generator, and a changing magnetic field can be generated by passing a changing current to the coil, and the ion current rotates in the changing magnetic field. The horizontal plane power module can generate ion currents in different directions through the evenly distributed ion generator, and provide the flying saucer with power in all directions on the horizontal plane."
Structural Description
The patent diagrams show three functional block diagrams (control/analysis/execution architecture), plus physical drawings: a classic disc-with-dome saucer profile; a cross-section showing ion generators (离子发生器) arranged in a vertical array; and a bottom-annular view showing the ring coil (通电线圈) arrangement.
The execution unit has two independently controllable modules:
- Lift module — ion current × vertical magnetic field → vertical Lorentz force
- Horizontal power module — ion current × azimuthal magnetic field → omnidirectional horizontal thrust
Physics Mechanism: Lorentz Force Propulsion via Ion Current × AC Magnetic Field
The physics is Lorentz force propulsion using electrostatically generated ion currents interacting with AC magnetic fields. The ion generator produces a stream of singly charged ions (proton or air-ion plasma) at a controlled current density J. The coil generates an alternating magnetic field:
B(t) = B₀ sin(ωt)
The Lorentz force on the ion current is:
F = J × B = J × B₀ sin(ωt)
For net thrust, the ion current must be synchronized with the field phase: when J and B are in phase, the time-averaged force:
⟨F⟩ = ½JB₀
is non-zero and directed upward (for the lift module) or horizontally (for the power module).
The omnidirectional horizontal maneuvering capability comes from the azimuthal distribution of the horizontal module's ion generators: by selectively activating ion generators at different azimuthal positions, the net horizontal force vector can be directed in any horizontal direction without rotating the craft body.
Control Architecture
The control architecture separates path planning (路径规划模块), judgment (判断模块), signal interface, data acquisition, and central processor functions. The onboard central processor (机载中央处理器) dynamically adjusts ion current density and magnetic field phase relationship to achieve the commanded acceleration vector. This is a full flight control system specification, not a basic physics demonstration — the level of engineering detail (distinct lift and horizontal modules, feedback control, path planning) indicates a serious engineering prototype design.
Strategic Significance
Filed by Zhejiang University with simultaneous PCT filing (JP, WO) in 2020, this is an active Chinese academic patent on electromagnetic disc-craft propulsion. Zhejiang University is a key institution in China's military-civil fusion programs; its patents routinely transition to PLA (People's Liberation Army) applications.
The PCT extension to Japan and international indicates commercial and strategic IP protection intent. The simultaneous international filing pattern (CN + JP + WO) mirrors the 1959 Raytheon patent filing (US + GB + BE + JP) — the strategy of protecting strategically significant aerospace IP in multiple major jurisdictions simultaneously.
Sources
- CN111114774B on Google Patents
- Zhejiang University military-civil fusion program
This information was compiled from Break_thrus.mdx staging file.