joiz
New member
you know how they tried to use tethered satelites to generate electricity by turning it into a generator? well a generator can also be made into a motor, couldn't they make electrodynamic RCS or even main engines?
With nothing to push against in space, you can't turn that energy into linear force.you know how they tried to use tethered satelites to generate electricity by turning it into a generator? well a generator can also be made into a motor, couldn't they make electrodynamic RCS or even main engines?
Well, so magnetic levitation doesn't exist?..With nothing to push against in space, you can't turn that energy into linear force.
Tether propulsion has even less thrust than ion drives. It's main advantage is lack of fuel consumption - a nuclear powered tehered satelite pair can theoretically stay in orbit forever even on LEO.couldn't they make electrodynamic RCS or even main engines?
Ah, yeah, that's rather more feasible. I thought by "electrodynamic drive" he was referring to something such as the Dean Drive. Carry on.Well, so magnetic levitation doesn't exist?..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrodynamic_tether
I believe this method has been used in conjunction with momentum wheels for satellite RCS -- the magnetic torquers provide a way to dump momentum-saturation of the wheels.
wiki said:Electrodynamic tethers
Main article: Electrodynamic tether
Electrons flow through the conductive structure of the tether to the power system interface, where it supplies power to an associated load, not shown. (source: U.S. Patent 6,116,544, "Electrodynamic Tether And Method of Use".)
In a strong planetary magnetic field such as around the Earth or Saturn, a conducting rotovator can be configured as an electrodynamic tether. This can either be used as a dynamo, which slows the tether and changes the angular momentum whilst generating electrical power, or alternatively, its orbital speed and/or angular momentum can be increased electrically from solar or nuclear power by running current through a wire that goes the length of the tether. Thus the tether can be used either to accelerate or brake an orbiting spacecraft.
In both cases the tether pushes against the planet, and thus the momentum gained or lost ultimately comes from the planet.
One complication to these techniques is that if the tether rotates, the direction of current must reverse (such as is the case in alternating currents).
Yes, that is the principle of operation behind the Ananke Tether-Sling project that n0mad23 & I were working on. That design in turn was based on the NASA MXER (Momentum Exchange Electrodynamic Reboost) tether as well as similar designs by Tethers Unlimited (there is some info on their site here).you know how they tried to use tethered satelites to generate electricity by turning it into a generator? well a generator can also be made into a motor, couldn't they make electrodynamic RCS or even main engines?
Some data from Magsat here:Ayup. I'd be tempted to build an add-on (I HAVE been tempted to build an add-on), but I don't have a good model of magnetic flux. (Let alone one that would work for other planets).