starship-design: New Drive design

["Kyle R. Mcallister" <stk@sunherald.infi.net>]

Here it is: (Message from Frank Howard, used with permission)

If you swing a mass on a string around in a circle, the mass is pulled
outward by centrifugal force.  The swinging of the mass in a circle
caused
an angular acceleration on the mass pulling it outward.  The angular
acceleration [feet/second squared] is equal to angular velocity
[radians/second] squared times the radius [ft.] of swing.  The
acceleration
force [lb.] outward equals the mass [lb.sec.sq./ft.] times the angular
acceleration [ft./sec.sq.].

If the radius is increased, the angular force is increased in direct
proportion.  Consider a stationary gear with another gear with the same
diameter rotating around it.  Place a mass at the outer side of the
rotating gear.  The locus of the mass as it rotates has a greater radius
on
one side than the other.  It can be plotted as x=acos(A)-1)sin(A) and
y=sin(A) where A equals the angle of rotation.  If four gears are place
90
degrees apart,  and the forces from the masses are summed, a constant
force
with an amplitude of 2 is produced. The mechanisms could be driven by
electric 
motors and constant propulsion force and acceleration could be produced.
 
I have been talking to one of my directors about using small modules
powered by these centrifugal drives to rescue satellites from falling
out
of orbit.  The centrifugal drive modules could be stored in an small
unmanned space station covered with solar cells.  NASA is too involved
in
organizational political wars and struggle for survival to think about
these things.
 
A more efficient process not requiring moving machinery would be to
chill
down superconductive material with cryogenics.  Resistance is directly
proportional to temperature.  Current is inversely proportional to
resistance, so the super conductor could produce a strong magnetic
field.
Atomic particles such a protons could be accelerated with a positive
charge
from the super conductor with each rotation though a curved pipe line. 
The
mass of the protons would increase with velocity.

m=mo/(1-v^2/c^2)^.5

where:
m=mass of traveling object
mo=mass of still object
v=velocity of mass
c=velocity of light

as v approached c, m approaches infinity.

The particles could be sent down a path with a large radius of curvature
providing acceleration.

Space vehicle could be created that would be completely silent.  Action
reaction vehicles could be used to overcome gravity.
 
That was some stuff I was dreaming about.  I have probably left you
bored
stiff.  Most of my work at NASA has been on cryogenics.  NASA put some
of
it is on the net.

Frank Howard (The man at NASA who sent me this)