Re: starship-design: Idea

[Ben Franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca>]

"N. Lindberg" wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
>         I recently read a book about the "X-planes". And read a little
> about the X-6 project to use a nuclear reactor as the heat source for a
> gas turbine engine.  I know that the original design required too much
> heavy shielding, but I was wondering about using a small IEC fusion device
> along the lines of the farnsworth fusor for atmospheric flight.  A fusing
> plasma would be quite hot, and emit photons along with all kinds of
> charged particles and neutrons.  A shield structure around the electrodes
> would convert the radiation into heat, which would have air forced past it
> to keep it cool.  A supply of liquified gas could be kept on board to
> provide reaction mass for translation to vacuum (SSTO?).  Anyway, this is
> all just a fanciful idea on my part.  I'm most interested in hearing
> what's wrong with the idea...

Current fusors that I know of are working at a very low energy factor
on the order of 1E-10 http://www.earthtech.org/experiments.htm
and http://www.richmond.infi.net/~rhull
Also the fusor still has to be shielded with the same shielding
as a fission reactor. 
-- 
"We do not inherit our time on this planet from our parents...
 We borrow it from our children."
"Ancient Logic" http://www.jetnet.ab.ca/users/bfranchuk/al/index.html