High Power Density Motors for Aeropropulsion

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 6:40 pm

Cryogenic motors, both superconducting and non-superconducting (e.g., cryo-cooled pure aluminum conductors).
Apologies if this has already been linked on some other thread.

"NASA Glenn Research Center Program in High Power Density Motors for Aeropropulsion"

http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/reports/2005/ ... 213800.pdf

MSimon · Post by **MSimon** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:30 pm

There was an Air Force guy who used to frequent this board. He was very interested in Polywell for aircraft propulsion.

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:02 am

I hope he's still monitoring and has authority to influence funding. Nothing like a little USAF-USN competition to speed up progress (don't think we've really seen that since the 1950s-60s).

My idea for a "more electric" Polywell space hopper, using electric lift fans/turbines from ground to medium altitudes/speeds (with indefinite loiter/excursion), and Dr. B's QED-ARC from medium altitudes/speeds to orbit, probably has more appeal for the Air Force than the Navy (although the top-ranking officers in Star Trek were admirals, not generals...).

I love the idea of having everything powered by grams of Boron11 (with maybe just a small amount of cryogenics needed for cooling and above-atmosphere reaction mass). How to use Polywell's high voltage for the lower, slower, reduced-ozone mode, that's the trick (assuming a favorable outcome for radiation shielding needs).

MSimon · Post by **MSimon** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:31 am

DeltaV wrote:I hope he's still monitoring and has authority to influence funding. Nothing like a little USAF-USN competition to speed up progress (don't think we've really seen that since the 1950s-60s).

My idea for a "more electric" Polywell space hopper, using electric lift fans/turbines from ground to medium altitudes/speeds (with indefinite loiter/excursion), and Dr. B's QED-ARC from medium altitudes/speeds to orbit, probably has more appeal for the Air Force than the Navy (although the top-ranking officers in Star Trek were admirals, not generals...).

I love the idea of having everything powered by grams of Boron11 (with maybe just a small amount of cryogenics needed for cooling and above-atmosphere reaction mass). How to use Polywell's high voltage for the lower, slower, reduced-ozone mode, that's the trick (assuming a favorable outcome for radiation shielding needs).

I had some e-mail conversations with him and then he disappeared. Later checking showed his e-mail account was a dummy and of course he had a pen name. I did not pursue it. If he needs me he knows where to find me.

He did say one thing I liked a LOT. He sent newbies to IEC Fusion Technology to get up to speed.

Even if it does not work out for aircraft propulsion bases need lots of power. That goes for all the military branches.

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:05 am

DeltaV wrote:...using electric lift fans/turbines from ground to medium altitudes/speeds (with indefinite loiter/excursion), and Dr. B's QED-ARC from medium altitudes/speeds to orbit...

Forgot to mention, that's Plan B.
Plan A is less certain but far more desirable: Integrated Polywell/Mach-Effect.

Heath_h49008 · Post by **Heath_h49008** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:51 am

The Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster has a couple implications if you can scale up the concept. In atmosphere you just push air through the motor as the working fluid, and carry a modest cryotank for less dense environments.

Are they relatively low thrust? Maybe, compared to chemical rockets, but the time you can apply the impulse is almost unlimited.

SSTO doesn't seem to be out of the question once fuel weight and time under thrust are in such a positive light.

You don't need a 1:1.x thrust to weight if you can simply fly and continue to accelerate in thin/non-existent atmospheric resistance.