The Focus Fusion Society Forums Research Plasma jet engines that could take you from the ground to space

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  • #26194
    Stephen Wordsworth
    Participant

    A hypersonic ionocraft that can take you into orbit on electricity using the upper atmosphere as reaction mass, just needs fusion power to work.
    https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431264-500-plasma-jet-engines-that-could-take-you-from-the-ground-to-space/
    Using similar electrodes to focus fussion
    http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/825/1/012005/pdf

    #26204
    Breakable
    Keymaster

    Cool!
    The electrodes look very similar to DPF. I wonder what is the current and theoretical momentum per watt?
    If this can take you to space, then maybe it can work in space and if not you can use a DPF for both power and propulsion.

    #26206
    Stephen Wordsworth
    Participant

    Presumably it would be a flying wing with plasma thrusters all along the back edge(no need for flaps or rudders), And focus fusion for power.

    A quick look at the numbers in the abstract in the PDF look promising.
    http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/825/1/012005/pdf

    Depending on the capacitor voltage (200-600 V) the energy input at one atmosphere varies
    from 52-320 J/pulse corresponding to impulse bits from 1.2-8.0 mNs. Such a new pulsed plasma
    propulsion system driven with one thousand pulses per second would already have thrust-to-area
    ratios (50-150 kN/m²) of modern jet engines. An array of thrusters could enable future aircrafts and
    airships to start from ground and reach altitudes up to 50km and beyond.

    SKIP

    In the air regime with initial pressures from 0.1-10 Torr the plasma jet has a
    lifetime of 50-100 µs, can reach velocities from 5-20 km/s and high densities from 1017-1018 cm-3 [8]. In the
    plasma focus the pinching discharge can be compressed to pressures of about 100-150 bar [8].

    SNIP

    The velocity for LEO is 3.2 kilometers a second so as long as the thrust to drag ratio remains good an exhaust velocity of 20km/s should get you into orbit, just need to take some reaction mass for the apogee thrust but once your orbit is circulerised you can use the low thrust but very high velocity (4.5%light speed) of p+b11 focus fusion to get you anywhere in the solars system. Then you can harvest He3 from Uranus to fuel fusion drive with an even higher 8.9%c exhaust velocity and go interstellar.

    50km high cruising is the height of many launch loop ideas, focus fusion powered space planes makes the infrastructure heavey ideas of Lofstrom Loops or space elevators obsolete.

    #26243
    Williams
    Participant

    Are not we proud that scientific researches and inventions have reached its peak and men can design everything fast essay help which is imaginable. This plasma jet is an amazing development in the field of spacecraft.

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