with water as a power source No, no. Water is just the reaction mass . The power source is solar. This is a steam rocket.
Why use a microwave? Why not just a heating element?
Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
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Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#32Let's say we found a way to make water the fuel of the future (that is used for all (most) of our needs), should we use it? Isn't water (one of) our most precious resource? Should mankind really risk using (wasting) our precious water? Well, we wouldn't loose it if we use it on earth, but space would be a different story (although, if we only use water as fuel for spacecrafts... it would take a while before we deplet…
There's actually quite a lot of potential water available in the Solar System.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_the_chemical_elem...
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#33Let's say we found a way to make water the fuel of the future (that is used for all (most) of our needs), should we use it? Isn't water (one of) our most precious resource? Should mankind really risk using (wasting) our precious water? Well, we wouldn't loose it if we use it on earth, but space would be a different story (although, if we only use water as fuel for spacecrafts... it would take a while before we deplet…
Water is the space fuel of the future. Well, at least the space oil of the future - if you start mining asteroid and comets, water is one of the best component you can get: good for any life around, quite a good solvent if you need one, and more importantly can be a fuel like this or be transformed into oxygen and hydrogen, which is rocket fuel as well. Also, good luck depleting the water on Earth with space travel.…
Right, like figuring out why you would want to bother lifting significant amounts of water mass into space in the first place.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#34180 seconds is a fairly terrible specific impulse... Hydrazine monopropellant has something like 220 seconds, and the new safer monopropellants are comparable (less specific impulse but denser for less tank mass).
At an ISP of burn it in the traditional manner.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#35Let's say we found a way to make water the fuel of the future (that is used for all (most) of our needs), should we use it? Isn't water (one of) our most precious resource? Should mankind really risk using (wasting) our precious water? Well, we wouldn't loose it if we use it on earth, but space would be a different story (although, if we only use water as fuel for spacecrafts... it would take a while before we deplet…
On any given day tiny comets and asteroid deliver to earth many tons of water. The big ones we see a shooting stars. The giant ones are called asteroids. Only the real monsters actually touch the ground. Most burn up in the atmosphere, delivering their water as steam. So, no. Powering all of our rockets with water will not deplete the planet.
I'd be far more worried about the gold, platinum and other expensive stuff that satellites are built from. We aren't getting those back nearly as quickly.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#36with water as a power source No, no. Water is just the reaction mass . The power source is solar. This is a steam rocket.
Why use a microwave? Why not just a heating element?
Probably mode of energy transfer. Microwaves are extremely efficient with transferring energy to water since you do not need to have something with higher temperature to produce heat flow. Also, you can heat up a contained area (especially water vapor) easily where as heating elements are limited to surface area (and the heat flow will be extremely low since the mass is low).
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#37with water as a power source No, no. Water is just the reaction mass . The power source is solar. This is a steam rocket.
Yup, people do not understand how stable water is (hence the low energy density). Phase change on the other hand, is a extremely effective method to harness work from heat.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#38So is the plasma an effect of the superheated steam? Or is the plasma used to heat the steam? Or is it used to collimate the steam...Pretty neat nevertheless. I always had a sweet spot for Ion plasma sources after working in the Semi industry for a couple years.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#39180 seconds is a fairly terrible specific impulse... Hydrazine monopropellant has something like 220 seconds, and the new safer monopropellants are comparable (less specific impulse but denser for less tank mass).
At an ISP of burn it in the traditional manner.
It turns out that electrolysis in zero-g is tricky, the bubbles tend to stick to the electrodes. I believe there are some nanomaterials in development now to prevent that, but it makes it more complex than you would initially think.
Re: Propelling deep space flight with new fuel source, Momentus prepares for liftoff
#40with water as a power source No, no. Water is just the reaction mass . The power source is solar. This is a steam rocket.
Yup, people do not understand how stable water is (hence the low energy density). Phase change on the other hand, is a extremely effective method to harness work from heat.
Yeah, I call water hydrogen ash.