h a l f b a k e r yIs it soup yet?
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Got the inspiration from Vernon.
Once you get past Jupiter your yield
from solar light diminishes quite
rapidly. However, as recent activity
has shown. The solar wind is still
quite powerful. Even beyond the
suns sphere of influence there are
streams of particles.
Instead of
a solar sail to take you to
far off places why not trail behind a
solar pinwheel turbine for your
energy consumption. It only needs
to be less than a mile wide. Deep
Space 1 has proven that even a slight
force in one direction is beneficial.
SW info
http://genesismissi...SolarWind-ST-PO.pdf the nasa page with the typo [my-nep, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004]
[link]
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Hmmmm. What stops it blowing away? |
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I don't think the idea is for Earth consumption, but generating power for spacecraft. As the solar wind blows the sail, it spins generating electricity for the craft and propelling the craft away from the Sun. |
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But eventually your ship will be going the same speed as the wind. What then? |
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Then it will be time to dance. |
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Then +. I love it when it's time to dance. Just make sure you bring batteries for the stereo and disco lights. |
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Yes, it is for space stations and
exclusive ultra-chic discotechs. |
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I was thinking the same as Worldgineer while reading, but I do agree this would be a very good source of power for orbiting probes and other things in deep space that aren't moving faster than the solar wind. This could be used as a power source for satelites in the near future in deep space where photo cells do not work. This I believe is genious in idea and could prove a good alternative to the current nuclear thermocouple reactors. |
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You can tell I have more
experience with space stations
over discotheques. |
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This sounds to me analogous to a ship with a big windmill mounted aboard, which generates electricity to power a motor. If you want to translate wind energy into motive force, it is inefficient to turn it into electricity first. You would get more umph by fixing the rotors in place and using the windmill as a sail. There is no reason you couldn't have a small windmill _and_ a sail - you could use electricity from the windmill to power the fridge and keep beer cold - or run life support if out in the Kuiper belt. |
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I expect the wind mills to be less
massive than the station and
superconducting magnets running
across each other shouldn't be too
hard to ask for in the depths of the
stellasphere. |
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Nah, [human]'s right - no matter how nice the bearings are you'll eventually be spinning. Luckily, this is easily solved by using two windmills that spin in opposite directions. |
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I know I'm being pedantic but your windmills are missing the 'mill' bit (unless you are intending to promote flour production in space). Can you please call them wind turbines as sartep was careful enough to do. |
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Aaah that feels better, I'm off to write a strongly worded letter of complaint to the local council about the 1mm deviation in the straightness of the road markings outside my house. |
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American Heritage Dictionary: A machine that runs on the energy generated by a wheel of adjustable blades or slats rotated by the wind. |
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I grabbed this definition to show that you don't need grain to have a windmill, but will instead point out that the thing I use to blend margaritas is a windmill if there is a wind turbine connected to the grid. |
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I guess I stand corrected Worldgineer. Shame - I was looking forward to a nice loaf of space-bread. <note to JoeLounsbury> please don't post an idea for space-bread </note to JoeLounsbury> |
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How long will a nuclear power source last on e.g. a space probe? Still this would possibly have the advantage of cost and definately have the advantage of not attatching radioactive stuff to rockets that sometimes go wrong. |
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[ World engineer ] NASA says ( at least in an article ) that the solar wind goes 300-700 thousand kilometers per second. But that's a typo ( faster than light particals? ). Still, you'd hit the heiliopause before you got to that speed. Oh, here's the link to the soalar wind info from NASA. |
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[ sartep ] Acctualy, the solar wind, like the light, decreses as the inverse of squre distance ( 1D=1lite, 2D=1/4lite...) plus, it has colisions and ( since it goes slower ( more time for gravity to act ) ) gravity slows it down more. |
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It does decrease but there are
places beyond in the Galaxy where
it streams. And the galactic poles
in either south or north, a
thousand parsecs, that's good
charged particles right there. |
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Sorry, I didn't mention that there
would be multiple pinwheels on
this thing. Yes, World, there will
be a way of making frozen drinks
in the depths of space, however,
you still have to look cool enough
to get past the bouncers. |
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Thanks, my-nep for the link. |
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