Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: AIP [air independant propulsion]

[AndrePevestorf@aol.com]

Hi Folks,

(Iīm a friend off Carsten, also from Germany)

I saw thermit in action twice. In the school and in the army. I remember that itīs possible:

1. to use a pot (normaly used for flowers) as reactor,
2. to melt a steelplate in only 20 seconds.

In the army the told us that thermit only "works" in the direction of gravity. (the plate was melted but the thin tin on top was intact (except the bottom..)

the liqid iron is heavy compared to the AL-oxide. 

perhaps You can coppy some good ideas from the design of smelting-furnance and nuclear reactors...

maybe itīs possible to use tubes made from pottery and cool them direct with water to get steam...
If you use a continuous process (press the thermite to long sticks e.g.) you have no trouble to hold the necessary temperature to ignite the thermite...

OK, some ideas from a creazy kraut.. :-))

A.

In a message dated Thu, 25 Oct 2001  1:19:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "Nero Wolfe" <wolfe19@megsinet.net> writes:

> I thought thermite provided it's own oxygen from both the oxidized aluminum and the iorn oxide.  What I was really toying with was a crucable that was VERY VERY tall, as to prevent spillage. And then dropping pellets in as needed.  methinks it's time to build an engine like this...  I'm worried of the same thing.  I was also toying with the idea of having it outside the pressure hull ;-)
> 
> 
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
> 
> On 10/24/2001 at 12:38 PM Eliezer Rodriguez wrote:
> 
> >Thermite could melt through an engine block like a knife through butter (
> >I 
> >have seen it!) . Imagine you are at 200 feet underwater and see your 
> >thermite melting through your hull. It will be like a balloon pinch by a 
> >needle. Puff! The only ecuation I can see is: thermite + submarine = debri 
> >and water vapor.
> >
> >The idea of an energy source seems good but the reaction of thermite is an 
> >uncontrollable one thus making it a very, very dangerous energy source.
> >The 
> >idea of the pellets is neat but be sure you test it well before trying 
> >anything underwater. Also, thermite burns oxygen and underwater, this is a 
> >resource not to be wasting off.
> >
> >Please don't think I'm harsh here. I also have some crazy ideas on my head 
> >that don't go away. My wife says that this sub making idea is an obsession 
> >and that she already have the cost estimates of having me on an asylum for 
> >depressed submarine maniacs. Anyway, most inventions where discovered by
> >the 
> >same way; crazy idea + experiment / mishaps = inventions. Good luck with 
> >your idea.