Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] nuclear psub?

[Michael B Holt <tlohm@juno.com>]

On Mon, 6 Jan 2003 10:56:38 -0800 "Steven Mills"  writes:

>> I like the idea of the gravity well as a pressure hull.   There'd
>> be no problem at all with seeing out ....
>
>Good point. I would still want an enclosure or inner hull perhaps
>clear plastic?  If the gravity bubble were to collapse suddenly
>would that create a blackhole?  ( I'm out of my league here! )
>...just a thought...

Consider that control of the gravity well could be the way to shape
the hull.   The equipment and the personnel would be in a hull
that would be shaped in the best way to hold all the stuff, but 
the hull that met the water would be optimized for the speed,
pressure, viscosity and temperature of the water.

>> Someone here, a couple of years ago, claimed to have built
>> and operated a MHD drive at low ouput.   After the first
>> announcement, I never heard any more about it.
>
>I've noticed this about certain subject matter especially on the web.

As I recall, the guy said he was headed for a patent and commercial
uses.   That's not gonna lead to open use of the idea.

>Yes, why not?  Could a small microwave oven be converted to power
>a small pSub in this manner? 

How much power do we need to make this work?  The math here 
is beyond me.  I don't know how to calculate the expansion of sea
water in terms of using it as power.

A year or so ago I got a message from a consultant who was looking
for stuff about a simialr idea using aluminium powder as the "fuel."
It seems that AL powder will react with sea water to produce heat
which can be used to power torpedoes.   I actually do have a couple
of papers about it.   The down side to it is explosions: the stuff is 
pretty volatile.



Mike H.

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It is possible to make a Ship or Boate that may goe underwater 
unto the bottom, and so to come up againe at your pleasure ...
                                                                      -
William Bourne, 1576
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