Re: Lifter (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 19:16:34 -0700
From: David Mathes <airman@xxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Lifter (fwd)

In a word No, nada, zilch.

No one to date has made a lifter that is self contained in the public sector.

No one has used nuclear material in producing a lifter power supply.

In particular, the grams per watt is too high. A self contained (autonomous) lifter will have a 1 gram per watt or less efficiency. Or put another way, the power/mass ratio in Watts per gram needs to exceed 1, preferably 10.

Key to reducing the weight is the elimination of the transformer and almost all magnetics in general. Simply put, magnets are heavy, too heavy. Older systems may have used transformers (deSeversky, Brown Biefeld, etc). However, the power source was on the ground.

Another key is getting the efficiency up. LiPo batteries reduce the weight and increase the efficiency for a power source. However, processing the power into the high voltage needed requires a very lightweight diode and cap network. The diodes are there. Even with high tech caps (ultravolt etc), the Cockroft-walton multiplier cannot meet the performance criteria.

Piezoelectrics are still in their infancy. This alternative may be viable in the coming year or two, but will be outdistanced by higher efficiencies and lower weight.

There exists technologies which may be of great promise and assistance in meeting the goal of 10 watts per gram: carbon nanotube batteries (hydrogen storage), MIT MEMS Jet engine, UC Berkeley MEMS rotary, Rotamax, boron nanotube techology, GaAs/silicon carbide diodes, superhigh dielectric caps, flat coils (yes, a transformer) and various nuclear technologies.

The assumption is that a non-nuclear source of power and processing will be used. And that should there be a breakthrough in ZPE, that it will not be nuclear in nature (no funny emissions or serious ones either)

Autonomy doesn't give us much. It's a major milestone, but then there are issues of  flight time, payload and scalability.

David


On Mon, 08 May 2006 07:11:46 -0700, High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sat, 6 May 2006 00:46:46 -0400
> From: Mike <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Lifter
>
> Has anyone been able to make a lifter that is self contained? Prob would have to be huge (several 100 kv/mA just to pick up a aa lithium battery, so not something that could be scaled down.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>



-- 
David Mathes