RE: starship-design: Interstellar mission within fifty years

["Walker, Chris" <Chris.Walker@BSKYB.COM>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Paul-V Khuong [SMTP:paul_virak_khuong@yahoo.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, October 21, 1998 2:55 AM
> To:	Starship Design
> Subject:	Re:  starship-design: Interstellar mission within fifty
> years
> 
> Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl> wrote:
> >
> > > From paul_virak_khuong@yahoo.com Tue Oct 20 01:03:04 1998
> > > 
> > > Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > From: Paul-V Khuong <paul_virak_khuong@yahoo.com>
> > > > > 
> > > > > zkulpa@ wrote:zmit1.ippt.gov.pl
> > > > > 
> > > > [...]
> > > > > >>Not because of the word "explosions", but because of the
> word "micro".
> > > > > >>For a starship, you need rather macro-explosions (and the big 
> > > > > >>"macro" for that). For macro-explosions it will be next to
> impossible
> > > > > >>to reduce pulsing to mere "vibration load".
> > > > > 
> > > > > Use _2_ engines: vibrations will eliminate each others:
> > > > > if you're arranging phases, it'll do like this:
> > > > > /¯\_/¯\
> > > > > ´       >-2 waves
> > > > > \_/¯\_/
> > > > > 
> > > > Will not work. You cannot put such two engines in line,
> > > > you can only to put them side by side.
> > > > Then alternating explosions will rock the whole ship sideways,
> > > > instead of eliminating each other.
> > > 
> > > Sure it's possible! Make the two exactly symmetrical 
> > > and put 'em side by side!
> > > 
> > > like:   
> > > \    
> > > <¯= \
> > > /¯   \These two should be symmetrical and work at the  
> > > \    /¯same time. SO, the wave is eliminated by another
> > > <¯=´/  one, of exactly the same size.
> > > /¯
> > >
> > Sorry, I do not follow your idea. 
> > Can you explain it more understandably?
> See, you put the two engines side by side, in a way so that the two
> engines are symmetrical by the center of the ship. Then, make them
> fire at the same time. 
> 
I don't think it's possible to build two engines that are:
(a) exactly identical
(b) fire at exactly the same time
(c) fire with the exactly same vibration characteristics (ie. frequency
response).

Sure, maybe you can reduce the vibration loading in this way, but you won't
cancel anything 100% by using a passive control system such as this.

Chris Walker