Slough and others presenting fusion-based propulsion concept

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:29 pm

Slough in the list of NIAC Phase I selections
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_s ... tions.html
http://msnwllc.com/

glemieux · Post by **glemieux** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:57 pm

Plus a bunch of other nuclear related propulsion concepts:

Tarditi, Alfonso, Aneutronic Fusion Spacecraft Architecture, University of Houston at Clear Lake, TX
Werka, Robert, Proposal for a Concept Assessment of a Fission Fragment Rocket Engine (FFRE) Propelled Spacecraft, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, AL

Shame there are no links yet.

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:00 pm

Yep Slough is the only one I recognized. I'm really curious about the Clear Lake University aneutronic scheme.

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:06 pm

Thats cool!
I have a weird kind of affection for Slough and his work. I dont quite know what it is, but I am always glad to hear news and see him make progress.

Ivy Matt · Post by **Ivy Matt** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:06 pm

Well, I don't know about your weird affection, but my weird affection is mostly based on the similarity between his device and a Star Trek warp core.

Slough, John; Nuclear Propulsion through Direct Conversion of Fusion Energy; MSNW LLC, WA

Direct conversion? Does that mean he's looking at advanced fuels now?

Anyway, I hope NASA funds him.

Ivy Matt · Post by **Ivy Matt** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:59 pm

Ivy Matt wrote:Anyway, I hope NASA funds him.

Oops, I automatically took "Phase I Selections" to mean that no funding would be given until more candidates were eliminated in a later phase. However, each of the proposals selected in the first phase will receive $100,000 for a year according to the press release. It's not as much money as Slough & co. are seeking, but at least it's something to start with. I'm not sure what they're going to do with that money. It's not enough to build their break-even device.

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:22 pm

Their proposal doesn't sound like energy generation but exploiting fusion for propulsion.

Ivy Matt · Post by **Ivy Matt** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:58 pm

Ah, "direct conversion" of fusion energy to thrust. As here. Not quite the same as his break-even fusion device, and no doubt considerably less expensive to fund.

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:11 pm

This is related to his work here, from what I understand.

http://www.msnwllc.com/index_propulsion.html

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:03 pm

Google didn't yield anything on "Ambient Plasma Wave Propulsion". The named researcher has done previous work involving fusion propulsion:

Magnetic-Nozzle Studies for Fusion Propulsion Applications: Gigawatt Plasma Source Operation and Magnetic Nozzle Analysis

The work in this report has led to the capability of reliably operating a 300 MW MPD plasma source, and identified the possibilities and issues with increasing this power level up to 1 GW.