Asri-unix.1309
net.space
utzoo!decvax!cca!DIETZ@USC-ECL@sri-unix
Fri Apr 23 15:16:26 1982
Electromagnetic Accelerator Article
From: Paul Dietz <DIETZ USC-ECL AT>
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.
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