Hydrogen-based starship(was Re: starship-design: Repost - Alpha Centauri in 6 years...)

[Paul-V Khuong <paul_virak_khuong@yahoo.com>]

"L. Clayton Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net> wrote:
>
> Things have been slow lately, so....Sorry for its length but there
is a
> great deal of basic stuff here.
> 
>  INTERSTELLAR
> 
> 
> 
> Hydrogen Ice Spacecraft for
> Robotic Interstellar Flight
> by
> Jonathan Vos Post, F.B.I.S. 1
> 
> 
> ABSTRACT
>    Spacecraft constructed from cryogenic hydrogen (or deuterium
> and tritium) ice can use the same material for structure,
> shielding, coolant, and fuel.  This type of "autophage"
> (self-consuming) spacecraft achieves an extremely low dead-weight
> fraction, which is a critical parameter for optimizing the
> performance of interstellar spacecraft.
>    To reduce the volatility of hydrogen ice, a particular
> self-refrigerating structure is presented.  Hydrogen ice by itself
> is imperfect as a structural element; various methods of
> stiffening by the admixture of carbon or boron fibers are
> discussed.  Other cryogens relevant to specific fusion reactions
> are considered, including deuterium, tritium, boron-11, and
> saturated solutions of lithium in anhydrous ammonia.
[snip]
For refrigeration, you can use the heat to make electricity(if you put
2 different metals in contact and heat them, there will be electricity
produced from heat at the junction of the two metals)
Would only accelerate the H and then release it be feasable?
Do you think that if the H is put in a cylinded way wit the axis
parallel to the movement, it's be stronger?

Maybe a rocket/H-based propulsion+solar sail/sail decelaration would
be good.....

Just some toughts.
==
Vive le Québec libre... dé souverainistes!!!

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