[PSUBS-MAILIST] PSUB power problems UN-solved

["Gary R. Boucher" <protek@shreve.net>]

     Chapter 4 of the physics book that I use to teach Physics 251 at my 
university deals with conservation of energy.  A very simple subject 
really.  You could tall the chapter "You Can't Get Something from Nothing" 
or possibly "No Input, no Output."  There are NO fuel-less engines.  Now as 
to the concept of Cold Fission, sure, you can get energy from a number of 
cold nuclear sources.  If you stored it up for a year, you might from a 
practical source get enough energy to use an electric razor (once).
     BTW, I had the thermite idea when I was about 17.  Looks good when you 
visualize it, that is until you put the numbers to it.  Get a freshman 
chemistry book and calculate the numbers for calories of heat production vs 
kilograms of material used.  Then balance that against the complexity, 
cost, and safety of a system that could take such raw heat production and 
convert it to shaft output power.  The number don't work in theory.  Add 
inefficiencies and the system is far from practical.
     Such things are fine to contemplate, but are in most cases 
dead-ends.  Nothing works much better right now than what could have been 
used 100 years ago and that is a simple battery-motor combination.

Gary Boucher