Method and means for improving combustion characteristics of solid propellants

Claim 1

IN A SOLID PROPELLANT ROCKET MOTOR OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING AN EXHAUST NOZZLE AT A REAR END PORTION, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CHARGE OF A SOLID PROPELLANT CONTAINING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE PARTICLES DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE IGNITED AT A REAR END PORTION AND TO BURN FORWARDLY, AN INDUCTION COIL DISPOSED AROUND SAID HOUSING SO AS TO PROVIDE AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD IN A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING LAYER OF THE PROPELLANT CHARGE AT SAID REAR END PORTION THEREOF, AN ELECTRICAL POWER SOURCE CONNECTED WITH SAID COIL AND ENERGIZING THE SAME SO THAT THE INTENSITY AND FREQUENCY OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD ARE SUCH THAT THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE PARTICLES IN THE AFFECTED LAYER OF THE PROPELLANT CHARGE ARE INDUCTIVELY HEATED TO HEAT THE PROPELLANT IN SAID LAYER, AND DRIVE AND CONTOL MEANS FOR MOVING SAID INDUCTION COIL LONGITUDINALLY FORWARDLY ALONG THE HOUSING TO HEAT SUCCESSIVE SUBSTANTIALLY RADIAL LAYERS OF THE PROPELLANT CHARGE AS PRECEDING LAYERS OF THE CHARGE ARE BURNED AND TO THEREBY ACCELERATE THE BURNING RATE OF THE CHARGE.