Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Al vortex combustion

["Captain Nemo" <vulcania@interpac.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Brownlee" <jonnie@cobweb.scarymonsters.net>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 6:51 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Al vortex combustion


"Chalk me up for a 'me too,' and what format is the article in?(SNIP)Thanks,
John"

Hey Y'all,

Suds sent me one: it's in WORD format; text and color pictures.

Look, I'll be the first to admit I'm a "new idea freak."  I can't help it.
I see something that might have potential, and my mind starts wrestling with
it.  That doesn't mean that every idea I explore is a good one; in fact,
most of them don't pan out.  One night I'll be looking at something and
thinking "YEAH!"; and the next morning I'll look at it from a new
perspective and say "Nah".  That's part of the process I go through
whittling initial concepts down to working prototypes.  Sometimes it leads
to something that works, and sometimes it doesn't.

But I've gotta tell ya: this aluminum vortex technology is good
brainstorming material!

What really caught my eye was the picture (in the article) of that little
test-prototype sitting on the bench blasting out a plume of thrust!  That
means the concept is already proven to work.  If this really is a feasible
new means of air-independant power generation, then it just might be
adaptable to AIP for a PSUB.

So far, I see two possible means of application: direct thrust and applied
power.  Direct thrust implies pushing a hull through the water with a
combustor unit mounted thereto; and (one means of) applied power might be to
use the heat-energy produced in the combustor to drive (something like) a
steam turbine.

Now, steam turbines have been driving ships for ages; and modern subs use
the heat from nuclear power to drive 'em too.  I've seen steam turbines in
the THOMAS REGISTER ranging from little-bitty to great-biggy; so they're
available in a size we could use.

I just can't help but think if there was a way to mount the "furnace" of
this system in a safe place (like its own pod seperate from the pressure
hull); and the controlled application of the heat generated thereby could be
routed to drive a small steam turbine (or other device converting the
heat-energy into mechanical power to drive, say, a propellor) that we'd have
a useful source of AIP that might potentially produce more power over
longer periods of time than battery-motor systems do; and that could lead to
an advanced form of PSUB.

I still like battery-motor systems the best; and even if I had a
vortex-driven boat, I'd still (probably) have E-motors on it for purposes
other than main propulsion.  But this idea is interesting, and at this
point, looks feasible to me.

In my wildest dreams, I'd like a small nuclear reactor driving a steam
turbine, because nuclear power creates heat-energy without need of air, and
will operate for a long time on a single fueling.  The NRC won't let me have
a nuclear reactor; but this Aluminum Vortex Combustion technology looks like
it might provide copious air-independent heat energy; operate for a
reasonable length of time on storable amounts of fuel; be re-fueled more
efficiently than batteries can be recharged; and doesn't have a regulatory
commission keeping us from experimenting with it.

And, the mechanism seems like something that can be produced using available
materials and machine tools: a lathe, some micrometers, stainless steel
(maybe a little titanium); inert-gas welding; and good machinist skills.
Toss in computer assisted design and machining capabilities, and I don't see
any reason why this thing aint doable.

I like it!  Thanks for the info, Suds!

VBr,

Pat