Re: starship-design: engines, etc.

[KellySt@aol.com]

>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?

No thats the primary way to convert the kind of reactor products I've been
talking about to power.


> Would it, perhaps, produce enough power to drive your linac?

The problem is conservation of energy.  Every bit of power you take out of the
drive plasma, cuts that much thrust.  The fact you pull it out of that system
to use it to provide thrust by a linac, just means your linac is returning
some of the thrust taken from the direct thrust.


> 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?

Longevity is debateable.  Some comercial designs figured they could operate
fusion power planys like this.  But since we have no field experience..

> Curtis

Kelly