Patent US6318666B1 — Superconductive Geomagnetic Craft (Meissner Levitation + Ampere Propulsion)
Bibliographic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Patent Number | US6318666B1 |
| Title | Superconductive Geomagnetic Craft |
| Inventor | Gregory R. Brotz |
| Assignee | Individual (Gregory R. Brotz) |
| Filing Date | November 15, 1999 |
| Publication Date | November 20, 2001 |
| Status | Expired — Lifetime (expiration November 15, 2019) |
| Worldwide Applications | US 1999; WO 2001 — PCT/US2001/047654 (published WO2003043883A1, May 30, 2003) |
| Classification | B64C29/0025 — VTOL aircraft; B64C39/001 — Flying saucers; H02K7/1823 — Rotary generators with turbines; Y10S505/825 — Superconductor apparatus |
| Jurisdiction | United States (US) |
| Continuation | CIP: US10/010,447 (US20030130131A1, filed November 9, 2001) — "Superconductive Geomagnetic Aircraft" |
Abstract
A craft that includes superconductive materials that are supported within the geomagnetic field of the earth by means of the Meissner effect. The craft is propelled by means of directing a current from a point to another therein which creates a propelling force thereon within such magnetic field as determined by the right-hand motor rule.
Claims (11 Total)
Claim 1: A craft comprising a superconductor levitated by Earth's geomagnetic field, wherein the superconductor exists as a superconductive layer with an aerogel substrate supporting it.
Claim 2: The craft of claim 1, further including means for motive force by directing electrical current across the superconductor to create motion perpendicular to the current direction.
Claim 3: The craft of claim 1 wherein the superconductive layer forms a hollow sphere surrounded by aerogel substrate.
Claim 4: The craft of claim 3 further including means to cool the superconductive layer.
Claim 5: The craft of claim 4 further including an inner aerogel dam positioned to define a void between the dam and superconductive layer.
Claim 6: The craft of claim 5 wherein the inner aerogel dam is positioned concentrically to the hollow spherical superconductive layer, and cooling means comprises liquid nitrogen entered into the void.
Claim 7: The craft of claim 6 further including at least two electrical contacts positioned diametrically opposite on the superconductive layer for passing electrical current between contacts to create motive force perpendicular to current direction per right-hand motor rule.
Claim 8: The craft of claim 7 wherein the inner aerogel dam has a hollow central area.
Claim 9: The craft of claim 8 further including lighter-than-air gas disposed within the hollow central area.
Claim 10: The craft of claim 4 further including a metallized coating disposed on the aerogel sphere and superconductive layer.
Claim 11: The craft of claim 4 further including at least one reflective Mylar balloon surrounding the sphere.
Description / Specification
Materials and Construction
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Outer layer | Aerogel insulation, spherical form; density as low as 0.003 g/cm³ |
| Superconductive layer | Thin layer on aerogel interior; formed via laser sintering, plasma spraying, sputter coating, or powder coating + heating |
| Superconductor options | Ductile alloys, intermetallic compounds, perovskite, metal oxides (yttrium-barium-copper + citric acid + ethylene glycol) |
Physics Mechanism 1: Meissner-Effect Levitation
The Meissner effect (Meissner and Ochsenfeld, 1933): a Type II superconductor in the Meissner state expels magnetic flux from its interior. If the craft's superconducting shell is operated below T_c and brought into proximity with an external magnetic field B_ext, the mutual repulsion between the flux-expelled superconducting region and the external field produces a levitation force.
The levitation force scales as:
F_lev ~ (B_ext² / 2μ₀) × A_eff
where A_eff is the effective cross-sectional area. For Earth's surface field (~50 μT = 0.47 gauss):
Energy density = B²/2μ₀ ≈ 1 mJ/m³
This is modest; large A_eff is required to support meaningful mass. The spherical geometry with aerogel substrate maximizes A_eff per unit mass.
Physics Mechanism 2: Ampere-Force Propulsion (Right-Hand Motor Rule)
For a current-carrying conductor of length L carrying current I in external magnetic field B_ext:
F = IL × B
Directed perpendicular to both the current direction and the field direction (right-hand motor rule).
For Earth's geomagnetic field (~50 μT = 0.47 gauss = 4.7×10⁻⁵ T), the horizontal Ampere force per unit current length:
F/(IL) = B sin(θ) ≈ 50 μN/(A·m)
Example Specifications (300 cm diameter sphere)
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Outer aerogel sphere | 2,085.5 grams |
| Superconductive layer | 8,201.9 grams |
| Nitrogen gas | 626.7 grams |
| Inner aerogel dam | 406.0 grams |
| Total craft weight | 11,320 grams (~11.3 kg) |
Required parameters for propulsion at 0.47 gauss geomagnetic field:
- Current needed: 786,780 amperes
- Voltage required: 786 volts (assuming 0.001 ohm resistance)
- Power required: ~618 MW
The current requirement (786 kA) is extremely high; this is achievable in principle with superconducting circuits (zero DC resistance), where the limiting factor is the critical current density of the superconductor, not resistive losses.
Combined System Operation
Superconducting Meissner levitation removes the need for aerodynamic lift or conventional thrust to oppose gravity. Ampere-force current-in-field propulsion provides horizontal maneuvering. Together:
- Vertical hovering — zero acoustic signature (no rotors or jets)
- Horizontal acceleration — limited only by available current and local geomagnetic field strength
Cooling Systems
Four methodologies described in the patent:
- Liquid nitrogen — aspirated into sphere interior, gasifies for evaporative cooling; operating temperature 77 K (sufficient for YBCO, BSCCO-2223 superconductors)
- Thermoelectric cooling — heat transported to radiation fins outside sphere
- Magnetocaloric cooling — alternative approach
- Bose-Einstein condensate — cooled via three laser beams directed on it, acting as magnetic trap; speculative/future technology
Directional Control Methods
-
Multiple electrodes (Claim 7): Selecting which diametrically opposed electrode pairs are activated changes the current direction through the sphere in Earth's field, changing movement direction while maintaining maximum force angle.
-
Critical current density localization: Directing above-critical current to a localized sphere surface area removes superconductivity at that point (local resistive transition), eliminating Meissner repulsion at that spot and causing the sphere to move toward the non-repelled area.
-
Thermal control: Laser heating or cessation of cooling at targeted areas selectively removes superconductivity locally.
Alternative Configurations (13 Figures)
Figure 1: Hollow spherical core with superconductive layer, liquid nitrogen cooling with relief valve.
Figure 2: External liquid nitrogen tank supply with gasified nitrogen entering craft.
Figure 3: Inner aerogel dam creating void space for liquid nitrogen circulation via vacuum pump.
Figure 4: Four electrical lines to sphere surface at 90° intervals; diametrically opposed electrode pairs for directional control.
Figure 8: Superconductive layer suspended within reflective Mylar balloons via tethers; Mylar provides insulation and lift.
Figure 9–10: Bose-Einstein condensate cooling with laser beam maintenance.
Figure 11: Movable internal electrical contacts (arms) enabling selective contact point activation.
Figure 12: Internal gyroscope (counter-rotating flywheels) for orientation stabilization relative to geomagnetic field.
Figure 13: Counter-rotating aerogel disks with superconductive coatings; can incorporate Wimshurst generator structure using metallic foil and collecting combs.
Lorenz Force Enhancement
A metallized aluminum film layer (separate from the superconducting layer) can accumulate static charge from a high-voltage source. This charged body experiences a Lorenz force perpendicular to motion direction and magnetic field:
F = Q × v × B × sin(angle)
Where Q = charge magnitude, v = velocity, B = flux density. This provides a supplementary propulsion mechanism beyond the Ampere force, relevant when the craft is already in motion.
Power Sources Discussed
Multiple power generation options presented:
- Microwave energy beamed to craft
- Infrared or solar light (collected and refocused)
- Thermionic conversion systems
- Photovoltaic / solar cells
- Gas-powered ICE generators
- Nuclear power
- Cold fusion (listed as option)
- Battery power
The patent's openness to beamed microwave power directly parallels the 1959 Raytheon patent US3114517A (Track_11) — both designs contemplate remotely powered flight without on-board fuel.
Technical Classifications
- B64C29/0025 — VTOL aircraft
- B64C39/001 — Flying saucers (explicitly classified)
- H02K7/1823 — Rotary generators with turbines
- Y10S505/825 — Superconductor apparatus
Prior Art Patents Referenced
| Patent | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| US5284606 | Sphere production at zero gravity | — |
| US5322652 | Large sphere production at zero gravity | — |
| US5073317 | Large sphere production method | — |
| US5507982 | Large sphere production at zero gravity | — |
| US5693269 | Sphere production at zero gravity | — |
(All sphere production patents — cited to support the manufacturing method for the spherical superconducting shell)
International Coverage
PCT/US2001/047654 — Filed 2001, published as WO2003043883A1 (May 30, 2003). The international filing indicates the inventor and potentially supporting parties considered this technology commercially or strategically significant enough to invest in international IP protection.
Related Patents in This Archive
| Patent | Mechanism | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| RU2097274C1 (Track_17) | EM shield sections, disc craft | Same Meissner principle, different architecture |
| CN109573106B (Track_23) | ∇(m·B_ext) partial shielding, deep space | Same gradient force, different implementation |
| JP2936858B2 (Track_27) | Asymmetric Meissner force, NEC Corp | Multipole geometry for directional thrust |
Citations
- Google Patents: US6318666B1
- PCT/US2001/047654 (WO2003043883A1)
- Meissner, W. and Ochsenfeld, R. (1933) — original Meissner-Ochsenfeld flux expulsion paper
Patent text compiled from Google Patents. Full original at the above URL.