Ringworld type object...

[Izack]

Umm... scratch that idea then. :lol:
Wait, I've got it:
You need to have a stationary core. You clutch the fly-wheel to a motor in the stationary part, spin it up, declutch from the stationary part, then clutch to the part you want to move. If you aren't going to have 2 counter rotating wheels, you will need to bring some extra RCS fuel to cancel the rotational energy the centrifuge will impart to the core section.

Does all that make sense?

How is that different? Conservation of momentum still applies, and the total amount of energy will be the same. Otherwise you have a type 1 perpetual motion machine on your hands.

 

[Scarecrow]

How is that different? Conservation of momentum still applies, and the total amount of energy will be the same. Otherwise you have a type 1 perpetual motion machine on your hands.

You're all thinking too hard. Just put an electric motor on the station, and attach a flywheel to it. Spin the flywheel. The station will spin the other way, because angular momentum is conserved. Release the flywheel afterwards so that friction doesn't slow the station down again, and voila.

For bonus points, build two stations, and spin them against eachother. They'll wind up spinning in opposite directions, and you won't need any extra reaction mass at all.

 

[jangofett287]

How is that different? Conservation of momentum still applies, and the total amount of energy will be the same. Otherwise you have a type 1 perpetual motion machine on your hands.

I'll sketch the hookup for you, just give me a min.

 

[fsci123]

You're all thinking too hard. Just put an electric motor on the station, and attach a flywheel to it. Spin the flywheel. The station will spin the other way, because angular momentum is conserved. Release the flywheel afterwards so that friction doesn't slow the station down again, and voila.

For bonus points, build two stations, and spin them against eachother. They'll wind up spinning in opposite directions, and you won't need any extra reaction mass at all.

Well i figured out how to spin this thing up so...
Thanks anyway..:tiphat:
Now i just got to figure out what type of material can be used and the total mass of this thing...

 

[jangofett287]

HERE:
You spin up the fly wheel, de-clutch the motor, Engage the clamps, the centrifuge spins. Then, when you want to stop, you engage clamps, clutch the motor, and then it acts as a dynamo, and your back where you started, for free, save for minor losses.

 

[fsci123]

The picture of the ring..

 

[jangofett287]

Thats not a ring, or a centrifuge, thats a halo.
Only way I can think of to get that spinning is RCS jets around the circumference.

 

[T.Neo]

Is the ring supposed to encompass a star?

 

[fsci123]

Is the ring supposed to encompass a star?

No there is a set of mirrors in the center of it to reflect sunlight on to it...
And no it is not a halo... Because it has the surface area of kenya...

 

[T.Neo]

Well, according to Wikipedia, Kenya has an area of roughly 580 370 km^2. With a radius of 243km, it would need to be roughly 380 km tall to have that area.

As you can see from the image, such an object would be more of a cylinder than a ring, in fact it is of such proportions that encapsulating the whole thing and letting sunlight shine in through windows that hold in the atmosphere becomes the most attractive option...

 

[fsci123]

Well, according to Wikipedia, Kenya has an area of roughly 580 370 km^2. With a radius of 243km, it would need to be roughly 380 km tall to have that area.

As you can see from the image, such an object would be more of a cylinder than a ring, in fact it is of such proportions that encapsulating the whole thing and letting sunlight shine in through windows that hold in the atmosphere becomes the most attractive option...

Just looking at my notes and calculations i screwed up with the meters to kliks so... Its realy like 4km...

 

[Hielor]

Just looking at my notes and calculations i screwed up with the meters to kliks so... Its realy like 4km...

4km radius? In order for that to have an inner surface area equivalent to Kenya's it would have to be so long that it'd be much more of a tube than a ring.

 

[fsci123]

4km radius? In order for that to have an inner surface area equivalent to Kenya's it would have to be so long that it'd be much more of a tube than a ring.

I was originally using Meters so its realy the size of the palenstinian territory... With a width of 4km