Reply To: Fusion Oil

[Aeronaut]

Francisl wrote: That brings up a related question because of Newton’s law that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. The positive beam is carrying a lot of energy and momentum but the negative beam should have relatively little energy and momentum. That means there is an unbalanced directional force on the plasmoid forcing it to move in the opposite direction from the positive beam. If the plasmoid doesn’t move much that would indicate that either there is a significant amount of momentum in the negative beam or the strong magnetic field in the DPF is transferring the reaction force to the DPF structure.
If there is a reaction force that is transferred to the DPF structure would the force be significant? Would a vibration be detectable? Could a resonant vibration occur in a DPF running in continuous mode?

Good question that I’d overlooked. FF’s 1st 2 scaling experiments were funded by NASA’s JPL, so if it were configured as an ion drive, the magnetic field would couple that impulse to the DPF structure, and from there to the ship’s frame. I’d hazard a guess that, configured as a fusion electric power plant, this kinetic energy would be conserved as the coils convert it into electricity and heat.