US5003186: "Stratospheric Welsbach seeding for reduction of global warming"

Inventor(s): Chang; David B. , Tustin, CA Shih; I-Fu , Los Alamitos, CA

Applicant(s): Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA News, Profiles, Stocks and More about this company

Issued/Filed Dates: March 26, 1991 / April 23, 1990

Welsbach Patent - Hughes Aircraft In 1994, the Hughes aerospace company was issued a remarkable patent. The Welsbach patent "for Reduction of Global Warming" proposed countering global warming by dispensing microscopic particles of aluminum oxide and other reflective materials into the upper atmosphere. This "sky shield" would reflect one or two percent of incoming sunlight. The patent suggested that tiny metal flakes could be "added to the fuel of jet airliners, so that the particles would be emitted from the jet engine exhaust while the airliner was at its cruising altitude."

Application Number: US1990000513145

IPC Class: G21K 1/00;

Class: Current: 250/505.1; 244/158.R; 250/503.1; 250/504.R; Original: 250/505.1; 250/504.R; 250/503.1; 244/158.R;

Field of Search: 250/505.1,504 R,503.1,493.1 244/136,158 R

Abstract: : A method is described for reducing atmospheric or global warming resulting from the presence of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, i.e., from the greenhouse effect. Such gases are relatively transparent to sunshine, but absorb strongly the long-wavelength infrared radiation released by the earth. The method incudes the step of seeding the layer of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere with particles of materials characterized by wavelength-dependent emissivity. Such materials include Welsbach materials and the oxides of metals which have high emissivity (and thus low reflectivities) in the visible and 8-12 micron infrared wavelength regions.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm: Sales; Michael W.; Denson-Low; Wanda; Primary/Assistant Examiners: Berman; Jack I.;

U.S. References: Show the 2 patents that reference this one Patent Issued Inventor(s) Applicant(s) Title US3222675* 12 /1965 Schwartz US4755673 7 /1988 Pollack et al. Hughes Aircraft Company Selective thermal radiators * some details unavailable

First Claim: Show all 18 claims What is claimed is: 1. A method of reducing atmospheric warming due to the greenhouse effect resulting from a layer of gases in the atmosphere which absorb strongly near infrared wavelength radiation, comprising the step of dispersing tiny particles of a material within the gases' layer, the particle material characterized by wavelength-dependent emissivity or reflectivity, in that said material has high emissivities with respect to radiation in the visible and far infrared wavelength spectra, and low emissivity in the near infrared wavelength spectrum, whereby said tiny particles provide a means for converting infrared heat energy into far infrared radiation which is radiated into space.