|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Atmospheric Vortex Launcher?
Hmm, the idea looks far-fetched, but the Economist magazine has
bothered to give it some coverage: http://www.economist.com/science/dis...ory_id=4455446 The fellow claims it may be possible to create a convection-fed vortex within a 100-meter high and 200-meter wide "chimney", which could extend kilometers above it into the sky, like a tornado. The application as described in the article is for a power-generating plant. But could this idea somehow be used for launching payloads into space? Leaving aside the technical problems of generating and controlling such a gigantic artificial cyclone several kilometers in height -- just for the sake of discussion, could such a cyclone generate the lift to accelerate and hurl an unmanned payload high in the sky and perhaps a substantial part of the way to LEO? Suppose our launch vehicle has a hydrogen propulsion system similar to the space shuttle's main booster, but scaled down. The rocket exhaust would consist of high temperature steam. Could this be used to feed and sustain the vortex at higher altitudes, perhaps with an exceptionally wide bell? On a vaguely related note, here is a picture of what looks to be a very tightly bound vortex (9 feet in height??) produced by burning fuel: http://www.reelefx.com/Tornado/firetube.htm Could such a vortex be produced from the exhaust plume of a rocket, and would it offer any propulsive benefit? I assume that a vortex can only be maintained due to the pressure of a surrounding medium, and yet perhaps that groundstation-produced artificial tornado could offer substantially higher atmospheric pressure upto a distance of several kilometers from the ground. Consider that an acceleration ramp several kilometres high is nothing to sneeze at, in comparison to what some of the proposed large electromagnetic railguns could give. Not as long as the Space Elevator of course, but at least a column of air can't snap as easily. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
This idea is not practicable because tornadoes
are difficult to control. See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9440978/ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
" wrote in message
oups.com... Hmm, the idea looks far-fetched, but the Economist magazine has bothered to give it some coverage: http://www.economist.com/science/dis...ory_id=4455446 The fellow claims it may be possible to create a convection-fed vortex within a 100-meter high and 200-meter wide "chimney", which could extend kilometers above it into the sky, like a tornado. The application as described in the article is for a power-generating plant. But could this idea somehow be used for launching payloads into space? For either application, how could such an "anchored tornado" be made fail-safe? How could we be sure that the vortex would not get loose, or spawn other vortices? Jim McCauley |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Well, the author of the idea says that the vortex could be shut off by
shutting the sluice gates feeding the vortex with water. I don't know how realistic that is, but supposing there is no other body of open water available in the area to feed the vortex with evaporated water, then perhaps the vortex would be entirely dependent upon your man-made feed. Perhaps some suitable location could be selected based upon minimal natural occurrence of storm activity or rainfall. You could use Doppler radar to gauge the vortex and surrounding atmospheric conditions to see if any anomalies are emerging that would destabilized the vortex. I actually wonder why the whole structure would have to be projected above the ground. Why couldn't you do this in a 100-meter wide mineshaft, perhaps with geothermally-heated steam? |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
A Vortex inside a Vortex | G=EMC^2 Glazier | Misc | 18 | September 22nd 04 11:48 PM |
The Gravitational Instability Cosmological Theory | Br Dan Izzo | Astronomy Misc | 0 | August 31st 04 02:35 AM |
Simple Atmospheric Model for Space? | Vincent Cate | Science | 7 | October 18th 03 04:45 PM |
launcher economics | Parallax | Policy | 2 | October 4th 03 05:00 AM |
market size as a function of launcher size | Parallax | Policy | 12 | September 23rd 03 11:14 PM |