Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg
Yeah, and maybe some hugely huge capacitors. A mass driver is sort of like a microwave oven. When it's turned it, it seriously sucks power.
It's not too horrible, though. Assuming 2.5 g of constant acceleration and a muzzle velocity of 25,000 ft/sec (circular velocity in low Earth orbit), and 80% power conversion efficiency, a 100,000 pound payload would need 1,152 megawatts for 311 seconds.
To put that into perspective, let's use one of my favorite power units--hoovers.* That is the peak power output of Hoover Dam, 2.074 gigawatts.
The power requirement comes out to 0.56 hoovers.
Conclusion: The mass driver needs a dedicated power source equivalent to a fairly large industrial power plant, but only for 5 minutes at a time. Since I doubt that it would be acceptable to brown out Perth every time we launch something, we will need a new power plant. Considering the location, solar dynamic power might be a viable option.
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*Hoovers are much more applicable here than another of my favorite energy units, fudgies. A fudgie is the energy equivalent of a Death By Chocolate hot fudge sundae, 1500 kilocalories. |
Fudgies? Ooh boy. And trust me, you have totally confused our British cousins now.
To the British, a "hoover" is a vaccuum cleaner.
The power of the brand name don't you know!
Okay, we need a Hoover generator? No problem.
North West is the Ord River, Lake Argyll, and the Argyll Dam.
We are talking about a monsoonal region, that measures rain in feet of water not inches.
Hydro power station already there, the backlog of water behind the dam wall is many times larger than Sydney Harbour.
I reckon we are halfway there mate. We can crank out a "Hoover " or two for you.
One for the girls.
Ask to be shown an Argyll Diamond. Pure Natural Diamond, in colour.
Yep, want champagne? Got champagne Argyll Diamonds.
Want pretty pink or pale blue? Argyll Diamonds come out of the earth in those colours.
REAL diamonds made by mother earth, but like nothing you have ever seen before.
Greg.
"I'm not too worried about cooling Earth's radiator. The planet still has its radioactive core, which won't burn out until long after the sun goes nova".
That's my worry exactly. Drain the radiator, the core goes "Chenobyl" on us. Or is it some how different, to other massive spinning metalic things? In that it can not induce heat via friction within itself?
Less cooling effect means greater heat build up, leading to more volcanic and sisemic action.
Maybe. It is something that has been in the back of my mind for almost 20 years now.
There does seem to be an increasing activity in that area.
One thing, "Solar Dynamic"? That, is a new one on me, must google.
