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Re: starship-design: Launch Craft.and IEC.




In a message dated 6/25/00 9:06:01 PM, bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca writes:

>KellySt@aol.com wrote:
>>
>> Actually I was talking about heating electrically.  Generate a arc and
>the
>> air that plows through it gets hot.  The result is also pretty ionized
>so
>> microwaves can be used to heat it more easily.
>
>It would have to be Direct conversion to electricity however.

Thyats standard for IEC with anti-nutronic fuels.


>> The papers were
>... CUT ....
>Since nobody has got fusion working with power gain, most of the
>ideas while valuable are outdated because when fusion does work
>all the numbers needs to be revised again.

True performance of real systems ae likely to varry.  ;)


>>  (This is an introduction to the application of Bussard's version of
>the
>> Farnsworth/Hirsch electrostatic confinement fusion technology to 
propulsion.
>> Which gives specific impulses of between 1500  and 5000 secounds.
>> Farnsworth/Hirsch demonstrated a 10**10 neutron flux with their device
>back
>> in 1969 but it was dropped when panic ensued over the surprising stability
>of
>> the Soviet Tokamak. Hirsch, responsible for the panic, has recently 
recanted
>> and is back working on QED. -- Jim Bowery)
>
>I read the quote before, but that was with a D-T reaction and you can't
>experiment with D-T unless you be some TOP-SECRET HUSH HUSH LAB for
>USA government research. What I want to know is the % of fusion power to
>input power and the projected power output of the current batch of IEC
>devices now and 5 years down the road.

Other then desktop universty jobs I doubt anyone is looking into them 
anymore.  With a fuel gut and eco-groups fusion isn't very marketable, So the 
commercial R&D pulled out late '80's.  DOE has stated they won't fund 
research into any new designs until they make their old systems work.  
(Tocomac's)


>Assuming it takes 100 watts for 1 second of thust,for 3,000 seconds
>that is 300Kw(225HP?) for 1 kg of thrust.1 Megawatt gives you 3 kg of thrust.

Actually no it would be a 100 watts, but 300,000 Watt seconds or .083 
KW/hours.  Since the 15 foot bussard reactor had a power output in the 10 E9 
watts range, that provides more then enough power for a good sized ship.


>Good for a space tug but not a craft to take you into LEO.
>Darn back to good old chemical rockets. I  still favor a two stage orbital
>craft... Manned 1st stage and unmanned 2 stage to dock at a space station.
>( I also favor 12/24 bit computers but that is another story )
>
>> 
>> Anyway if you go to a good library (especially a university libray) they
>> should be able to get you a copy of these easy.  If that doesn't work
>I could
>> scan things in and mail you, but those images would keep both our modelm
>> going for a long time.  ;)
>
>Ha - If I had access to that I would save on rent... just put my
>cot under that stack of books there and ...

;)

A library can order you photocopies.

Kelly