Re: RE: RE: starship-design: Plasma Engine (VASIMR)

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/2/98 7:52:44 AM, lparker@cacaphony.net wrote:

>Kelly,
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>> Thats not what I ment.  To generate the power, you need fuel, lots of it.
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>The
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>> fuel weighht is what drags all this stuff down.
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>
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>Huh? I was talking about a 40 kW space rated nuclear reactor such as those
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>designed for satellites. Yes it is heavy, but not because it requires lots
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>of fuel. The purpose of this power was to drive a very large klystron tube
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>which heats the hydrogen fuel into a plasma. NOW you have lots of fuel - for
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>the engines, not to generate power.
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>This engine approaches fusion engines in efficiency, making it ideal for
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>interplanetary missions. It could even put a probe through one of the nearer
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>star systems within fifty years.
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>
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>Lee


I.E. the reactor fisionables are the fuel, and are heavy compared to fusion
fuel to generate the same power.  This sounds like it would be pretty heavy
compared to a direct fusion system.  I.E. all the fusion energy directly
converted to exaust kinetic energy.  

Kelly