More Tests of the EMDrive/Cannae Drive...

[aramis]

http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/02/more-emdrive-experiment-information.html

The article also gives the solar acceleration at 1G: 0.6 milliGee...
And they are expecting 4 mN per kW. Peak runs to about 5mN/kW...

 

[SanDragon]

So, am I losing my mind, or is the possibility of thruster plate maneuver drives in MegaTraveller being played with on a small scale?

 

[Spinward Scout]

You're not losing your mind. They didn't get the idea from Traveller, tho.

Good to see they're showing it aligning with Dr. Woodward's work.

The Woodward effect

I really hope it works. Dr. Woodward predicted a thrust that could get a ship from Earth to Jupiter in 6 days.

 

[aramis]

So, am I losing my mind, or is the possibility of thruster plate maneuver drives in MegaTraveller being played with on a small scale?

It's not the Traveller T-Plate at all. T-Plates are gravitic devices. These are using the chamber shape to derive thrust from bounce, and noting that light-sail effect is different than other (kinetic) effects.

Plus, they're in thrust regimes that are comparable to ion drives, not massive rockets.

 

[SanDragon]

Yeah.

My thinking is that these thrust rates are only good for station-keeping maneuvers for a satellite already in orbit, not pushing us to the outer planets, never mind Bernard's Star.

And thanks for reminding me T-plates were an advancement of gravity drives. I had forgotten.

 

[aramis]

Yeah.

My thinking is that these thrust rates are only good for station-keeping maneuvers for a satellite already in orbit, not pushing us to the outer planets, never mind Bernard's Star.

And thanks for reminding me T-plates were an advancement of gravity drives. I had forgotten.

Actually, the issue that separates station-keeping from interplanetary drive isn't the level of thrust; it's the total ∆V.

The ∆V is actually surprisingly high for station keeping.

But the fastest probe ever launched was using a very low (≤150mN) thrust on a multi-ton probe... but had plenty of ∆V because the ion thrust is so efficient (high Isp).

The T plate (fictional) and the Cannae drive (appears to be real) both have near-infinite Isp... given survivable solar, the Cannae drive can produce its thrust as long as it can be fed power. Which means that its an ideal interplanetary drive.

Take, for example, a 10 kg drive producing 50 mN. Put it on a 1 Mg craft. You get 5.1 µG (micro gees)... but 5.1 µG is plenty for interplanetary flight. It puts mars a month or two away. (Capture into orbit and escape from orbit become quite tricky, tho'.... timing is crucial.)

 

[SanDragon]

Okay, that sounds promising.

Can thrust be increased by pushing more power into it?

I think that's my burning question.

 

[aramis]

Okay, that sounds promising.

Can thrust be increased by pushing more power into it?

I think that's my burning question.

I don't know, but strongly suspect so. Thing is, it also generates a good bit of waste heat, so it is limited to a power level that doesn't degrade the metal of the chamber.

The chinese version looks almost exactly like the impulse drives from ST:TOS...

 

[SanDragon]

Naturally, I would want to dissipate the heat to somewhere, and that has been a handwavium issue before.

Otherwise, there would be a lot of slag-tail craft floating about in the Imperium.