starship-design: engines, etc.

["Curtis L. Manges" <clmanges@worldnet.att.net>]

Hello, group,

I've been wondering about this: assuming a fusion engine as primary
power, it seems you could divert some of the plasma to an MHD generator
for auxiliary power. Does this seem workable, or am I behind the times?
Would it, perhaps, produce enough power to drive your linac? I would
have doubts about it having sufficient longevity, despite having no
moving parts (other than its cooling system), due to accelerated aging
of the components exposed to the plasma stream. Would its DC output be
an advantage or a disadvantage?

Curtis