MCGRATH@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU ("Jim McGrath") (01/03/86)
2-Jan-86 23:11:31-EST,2057;000000000000 Received: from MC.LCS.MIT.EDU by OZ.AI.MIT.EDU via Chaosnet; 2 Jan 86 23:11-EST Received: from SU-SUSHI.ARPA by MC.LCS.MIT.EDU 2 Jan 86 23:11:28 EST Received: from LOTS-A by Sushi with Pup; Thu 2 Jan 86 20:07:31-PST Date: 23 Apr 1982 1514-PST From: Paul Dietz <DIETZ at USC-ECL> Subject: Electromagnetic Accelerator Article ReSent-Date: Thu 2 Jan 86 20:10:05-PST ReSent-From: Jim McGrath <J.JPM@LOTS-A> ReSent-To: "mcgrath%oz@mc"@Sushi ReSent-Message-ID: <12172177878.202.J.JPM@LOTS-A> SPACE Digest Volume 2 : Issue 168 The April 82 IEEE Spectrum has an interesting article on electromagnetic accelerators. Of interest is a proposed hybrid mass driver/chemical rocket system for launching payloads into low earth orbit. Launched Vehicle: Two-stage solid-fuel rocket Mass: 15000 Kg Length: 10 m Diameter: 1 m Payload to LEO: 1000 Kg Launcher: Velocity: 2 Km/sec Acceleration: 20 g Length: 10 Km Launch time: 10 sec Launch Energy: 30 Gigajoules Force: 3.0E6 Newtons Average Power: 6 Gigawatts Peak power: 6 GW Thge system stores 50 Gj of energy for 200 seconds in a massive aluminum coil 40 meters in diameter weighing over 8000 tons. Energy input to the coil would be from the Pacific Intertie, an existing dc power line running down through California. Total cost would be $200 M to $400 M. Under reasonable assumptions about usage the cost to LEO is $3000 per kg of payload. After amortization of the launcher the cost drops to $1400 per kg. Also of interest is a single coil accelerator. Placed next to the coil is a conducting ring. When a high current pulse is sent through the coil the induction ring is accelerated to 1 km/sec in just 1 cm, an acceleration of 20 million g's. A russian has proposed accelerators capable of 100 million g accelerations. These acclerators would be as reaction engines, the induction rings being made from asteroidal material. ------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue Apr 20 07:03:07 1982 -------