Re: RE: RE: RE: Re: Re: starship-design: Genuine STR question

[KellySt@aol.com]

> Well there would be a small (well under 1% if were lucky) waste

> heat factor.

> But the main engines would only be usesd on entry or exit from a

> starsystem.

> So you couldn't use it to provide shipboard power for the bulk of

> the flight.



Even AIMSTAR has more waste heat than that.

One of the Reason I like the Bussard reactor designs.


 It is beside the point though.

All of the current designs being worked on (AIMSTAR, VASIMR, etc.) require

significant amounts of onboard power just for the engines. The few kW needed

to run ship board systems wouldn't even be noticed. 


KW!  A house takes KW.  These engines would be at least pumping around K
megawatts.



The weight of the

machinery to recover the waste heat would probably make it unattractive

unless it can be combined with the main power generator.



Lee Parker

Kelly