Re: New idea Laser launcher/scoop systems

[KellySt@aol.com]

> >to: tim
> >
> >> To Kelly,
> >
> >> >Explorer classes engines is over 2,000,000 we don't get to go.
> >
> >
> >The question was, can you get more thrust out of a pound of fusion fuel by
> >using a reactor to convert it to electricity, and use the electricity to
> >accelerate a reaction mass (ignoring engineering losses).  Or would
> >converting the fuel to high speed plasma get you more thrust.
> >
> >> >Given that the energy in the fusion reactors was all
> >> >turned into kinetic energy in the exaust plasma, I had assumed using it
> >> >directly would be most efficent.
> >

> The problem does come down to engineering efficiency unfortuneately.
Because
> we can not yet, and are not likely in the foreseeable future to realize
> performance efficiencies approaching unity (100%) then engineering is the
> stumbling block.

> Every time you cut another conversion process into the loop, I can almost
> GAURANTEE that you will lose 30% to 50% of your efficiency. If you are only
> starting out with 30 % on the first place....

?  The Fusion reactor designs by Bussard would be about 99% efficent at
converting fuel energy to electricity, and I think magnetic or voltage
accelerators are similarly effecent.

Kelly