Afterburner Fuel
- Thread starter Treguard
- Start date
Impulse propulsion, the type used in Wing Commander and some other science fiction universes, does need a type of turbine. You need something to create the right electromagnetic field that will push the ions and particles in the right direction. If you don't, you find yoruself drifting aimlessly in space.
Battler Hawke
Spaceman
Originally posted by Talyn 83
Algebra kicks ass. Well, my ass at least.
And Battler Hawke's too, it would seem.
your being to kind. it ripped me head off and spite down my throught.(i know i misspelled the word i have not taken spelling yet.
)WC's impulse-drive is technically speaking an ion-drive, just like the one on the deep space 1 probe (maybe check out the nasa website). It's powered by electricity, but I don't know how it's generated. Current fossile fuels just won't do for advanced space travel. That's been established a long time ago.
Algebra will do that, BH.
Algebra will do that, BH.
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
WC's drive takes in hydrogen using an electromagnetic ramscoop, though.
I didn't intend it to be belligerent.If anyone feels insulted, I'm sorry. And take your own advice, Frosty. In the beginning of this thread, we were talking about the power-system. It uses hydrogen. However, the ion-drive doesnot directly use the water. The fusion generator takes in the hydrogen and converts it into power which in turn is used for powering the ion-drive. But the drive doesn't expell hydrogen particles.
I meant Hydrogen. It is basically the same thing, you know.
And as you may have noticed, there's a tiny little difference between your car and a multi-million dollar spaceship. In a car, you can't seperate these things. In WC-style ships you can. Or do you think your car's engine is made of one giant piece? Your ship can be damaged on both the reactor and the ion-drive. The reactor uses the hydrogen, the engine uses the power from the reactor, but not the hydrogen.
Your tailpipe doesn't make your car move. The wheels do. The engine uses the fuel to make your axes (and your wheels) turn (thus creating ENERGY), and your wheels' spinning makes the car move. And I don't suppose you count your wheels as being part of your engine, do you?
And as you may have noticed, there's a tiny little difference between your car and a multi-million dollar spaceship. In a car, you can't seperate these things. In WC-style ships you can. Or do you think your car's engine is made of one giant piece? Your ship can be damaged on both the reactor and the ion-drive. The reactor uses the hydrogen, the engine uses the power from the reactor, but not the hydrogen.
Your tailpipe doesn't make your car move. The wheels do. The engine uses the fuel to make your axes (and your wheels) turn (thus creating ENERGY), and your wheels' spinning makes the car move. And I don't suppose you count your wheels as being part of your engine, do you?
Okay, okay. It's just I mix the terms up sometimes. I meant to say hydrogen. And of course, you're right. Pure water is only 66% hydrogen. Ya got me there. 
I've been trying to avoid that mistake for 4 years now, but my chemistry teacher still catches me making it every single week.
It's a bug in the dutch language. Water is Water and Hydrogen is Waterstof . Pretty confusing sometimes.
I've been trying to avoid that mistake for 4 years now, but my chemistry teacher still catches me making it every single week.
It's a bug in the dutch language. Water is Water and Hydrogen is Waterstof . Pretty confusing sometimes.
Let's just say it's a matter of opinion. I'm looking at it from the engineer's point of view. You're looking at it through a pilot's eyes. You see the ship as a whole, I see it as loose components. Agree on that?
BTW: there's no need for insulting me. Surely not right after I had withdrawn that statement.
BTW: there's no need for insulting me. Surely not right after I had withdrawn that statement.
MamiyaOtaru
Spaceman
ramjets
Or did you mean in the really far upper atmosphere, like in the mesosphere or thermosphere?
AFAIK, Scramjets are the current new thing that isn't quite worked out yet..
I was under the impression that atmospheric ramjets are quite well established. The SR-71 uses ramjets (or did, before it was retired)
Or did you mean in the really far upper atmosphere, like in the mesosphere or thermosphere?
AFAIK, Scramjets are the current new thing that isn't quite worked out yet..
MamiyaOtaru
Spaceman
You are right..
[edit]that page being: http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/lockheed_sr71.htm [/edit]
Yet later on the page this was from I read this:
So the sr-71 may not have used them, but they have been used..
[edit]that page being: http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/lockheed_sr71.htm [/edit]
Talyn, ion drives is a type of impulse engine. If you read my post, you would notice that I meanted particles AND ions. WC drives strip the Hydrogen atoms of their electrons, making them protons and other hydrogen ions, so they can be used in the fussion reactor. Some of the ions and protons are send out in pulses or matter as exaust. The process that creates this exhaust is refered to as "impulse" propulsion. Read a physics book sometimes. It helps.
Okay okay, right off the bat, I am extremely ignorant of how an impulse drive works (but I am quite interested and have been for years).
So, it's sending out the leftover Hydrogen protons and ions in pulses (bursts?) and what of the rest? You mentioned a fusion reactor... does the hydrogen get used to create cold fusion or something...?
I apologize for my ignorance
