Void Postings

tahanson43206 · 2023-06-22 09:19:50

In one of his many topics, Void has begun investigation of a possible method of space propulsion using atoms of metal instead of the usual output of chemical rockets, or of existing ion engine designs.

On Earth, living creatures generally do not do well if there are atoms or molecules other than oxygen and nitrogen in the air.

The air filters evolved in living creatures on Earth do not appear to have the ability to exclude atoms or molecules which would lodge in the lungs.

I am posting in this topic in hopes that Void, or perhaps another NewMars member, will be inspired to do the research to confirm or to falsify the notion that adding atoms other than oxygen and nitrogen to the atmosphere is a "good idea".

It should be noted that Carbon Dioxide is naturally created by living creatures, and that molecule does not appear to cause damage except when it is present in excess compared to oxygen.

I also note that certain complex carbon based molecules are used for communication between living creatures. Examples are fragrance of flowers. According to Google, fragrances from flowers are found to contain chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen ones.

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tahanson43206 · 2023-08-12 18:38:16

Very recently (2023/08/11-12) Void published a link to a report on geological stores of Hydrogen.

For Void ... please continue looking for news about this re-discovery, and post whatever you find in the topic.

At the bottom of the report, as you would surely have noted, there is discussion of the value proposition for large companies that are invested in their underground stocks of hydrocarbons.

I note that the assumed deposits exist along geological fault lines, but those have moved as the eons have gone by, so that for a modern driller, the deposits might be anywhere.

I would be particularly interested, to take just one example, if a huge deposit were directly under SpaceNut's house in New Hampshire.

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SpaceNut · 2023-08-13 15:01:12

Seems that we are looking for h2 that is chamber sealed such as all gases in the earth crust have happened in the past.
Not sure of how viable free hydrogen would be....

tahanson43206 · 2023-10-12 11:09:01

For Void re quotation from Ayn Rand ...

Your selections today inspired me to refresh my memory of this famous pen name...

Ayn Rand - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ayn_Rand
January 20], 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (/aɪn/), was a Russian-born American writer and public philosopher. She is known for ...
Objectivism · Ayn Rand Institute · Bibliography · The Early Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Writer
encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIQA...
Ayn Rand | Biography, Books, & Facts | Britannica
The Persistent Ghost of Ayn Rand, the Forebear of Zombie ...
As a Guru, Ayn Rand May Have Limits. Ask Travis Kalanick. - The ...

View all
Alice O'Connor, better known by her pen name Ayn Rand, was a Russian-born American writer and public philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system she named Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, she moved... Wikipedia
Born: February 2, 1905, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: March 6, 1982, New York, NY
Influenced by: Adam Smith, Friedrich Nietzsche, Aristotle, and more

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tahanson43206 · 2023-10-13 17:17:34

For Void re post:

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 76#p214776

You've outdone yourself once again!

The combination of that powerful surfing image and your excellent "hand" drawn imagery of the reflector above a rocket are sure to inspire the imaginations of your readers, both inside and outside the membership!

It is possible you have heard of the researcher who explored laser lifting of (small) objects a number of years ago. Your image brought that work to my mind. His tests were limited to very light weight objects, and the distances travelled were modest, but he definitely showed the potential of the method.

For anyone who might be interested, here is a set of snippets Bing found...

About 155,000 results (0.41 seconds)
Lightcraft
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Lightcraft
It was conceptualized by aerospace engineering professor Leik Myrabo at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ... LightCraft Launch Oct 2000 - laserbeam powered ...
Professor Leik Myrabo
XPRIZE Foundation
https://www.xprize.org › about › people › professor-le...
Leik Myrabo served as an Associate Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ... Franklin Mead at the Rocket Lab (AFRL, Edwards, AFB) to take laser ...
People also ask
Who invented first laser?
Can lasers be used for propulsion?
Feedback
MOVE, the Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift, Launches at ...
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
https://news.rpi.edu › content › 2018/09/27 › move-...
Sep 27, 2018 — A new research center focused on vertical flight has been launched at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Under the leadership of Farhan ...

The image that came to mind was a back-and-forth system for landing, in which powerful lasers at the landing site project photons upward to a landing vessel which has deployed a reflective surface somewhat as you drew it. The trick would be to put another similar mirror at the ground level, so that the photons bounced back and forth, with increasing effect as the space craft approaches land. If this system were practical, then the space craft could save propellant.

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Void · 2023-10-13 22:47:26

I am not supposed to post here, but I need to make it understood to other readers that my post was not about the use of lasers:

'A' and 'B' are rocket engines that tend to point at the parachute like device on the top of the rocket stack. I call them ground engines. They could be huge as they do not have to leave the ground. They are a "Rocket Exhaust Mass Driver of Sorts". They are supposed to gimbal in concert with each other to keep a focus on the parachute, which is perhaps made of metal. Indeed, the rocket exhaust can "Reflect" from it, and indeed rocket exhaust can reflect from the ground and surrounding berms as well.

I also want to consider ground engines that are Neuman Driver engines, but much is unknown about method to make that effective if it can be made effective.

But beaming power to orbital ships is also of interest. That could involve lasers, concentrating mirrors or microwave beams.

So, there would be lots of room for Lunar Surface based propulsion assistance.

I needed to explain this so that I can sleep.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2023-10-13 22:49:57)

NewMarsMember · 2023-10-16 09:20:17

For Void re http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 38#p214838

Thank you for this ** very ** helpful map of the layout of the tribal areas and kingdoms that are thought to have existed in Roman times.

Thank you as well for the perspective you included in the post.

I have chosen to offer appreciation here rather than to intrude on the topic.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2023-10-18 07:06:35

For Void re http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 73#p214873

Your skills with the drawing and presentation software are demonstrated once again, in this remarkable post!

Your ideas of ground based propulsion are so different from the run-of-the-mill engineering concepts that I am hoping the vision of what might be possible will reach receptive minds.

While you have (so far) chosen to concentrate on mass projection systems, I remain interested in the photon propulsion alternative.

Your image of multiple energy capture sockets on the projectile to be lifted is entirely new, as far as I know.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2023-10-18 09:02:45

For Void re ground based propulsion ....

Here's a tiny offering that you may be able to work with...

It's been years since I read reports on the work of Leik Myrabo, who performed experiments with laser propulsion.

I have a vague recollection that the best results were achieved by causing ablation of material on the lift surface, due to laser heating.

So far, you have steadfastly held to a vision of a rocket on the surface of a body (such as Earth) projecting matter upward with the goal in mind of providing lift to a vehicle. Your vision does not seem to be encumbered by Real Universe rules, which is great for imagining possibilities.

The suggestion I would like to offer for your vision is: Carry water in the vehicle, and feed it out the base, so it can be heated by lasers on the ground. The lasers on the ground have the distinct advantage of NOT dispersing when encountering air molecules, as would most certainly happen to any molecules projected upward by a rocket engine. My guess is that no molecule would rise higher than 100 feet from even the most powerful rocket engine, because the air molecules would rush in to become friends with the molecules ejected from the rocket engine. Thus, if my guess is correct, your vision would be correct and workable for a few inches above the surface of the body. Elon Musk and company just demonstrated that thrust directed at a concrete pad can cause dis-assembly of the concrete pad for a few feet above the surface, but nothing happens after that, because the atmosphere of the Earth rushes in to gently enfold all those water and CO2 molecules Elon and company are producing.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2023-12-14 12:41:24

For Void re storing hydrogen in water ...

I try to follow your posts, but occasionally miss connections that may exist...

Recently you mentioned / discussed / considered storing hydrogen in water.

You compared the idea to storing CO2 in water, which is a common practice on Earth.

By any chance, have you found references to actual studies of how well hydrogen might be transported in water?

It would seem likely (to me at least) that the greater the pressure, the greater the load of hydrogen that might be carried by a kilogram of water from one place to another.

There are those who are thinking about replacing methane / propane / natural gas with hydrogen.

Your idea (if it is practical) might be a way to ship hydrogen from one place to another more safely than as just hydrogen, but that is just a guess. Perhaps hydrogen under pressure will find escape pathways even if it is carried along with water.

A possible benefit of such a shipping method is to deliver water to a home or business along with hydrogen. The two could be separated at the place of use, so that the hydrogen could serve as a fuel for heating or for power, while the water would serve in all the ways that water serves now.

(th)

Void · 2023-12-14 14:52:44

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 07#p217207 (See post #1523)

Last edited by Void (2023-12-14 15:12:08)

Calliban · 2023-12-14 17:11:38

Solubility of gases in water vs temperature.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/gase … _1148.html

At 0°C, 1 tonne of water will transport 1.9 grams H2 at atmospheric pressure. Each gram of H2 carries some 120KJ. So a flowrate of 1 litre/s will deliver 230W. The problem is that you need to heat the water or expose it to vacuum to get the hydrogen out.

One cubic metre of H2 gas at 1 atm pressure, weighs 88 grams and has higher heating value of 10.56MJ. So a flowrate of 1 litre/s of gas will deliver 10.56kW. That is much higher energy density. So if you want to deliver hydrogen, deliver it as gas.

One of the problems with hydrogen is diffusion through pipes and seals at high pressure. This makes pipes brittle and increases explosion risk. But hydrogen was extensively used as town gas long before we had access to natural gas. Carburated water gas was hydrogen released by the chemical reaction between carbon monoxide and steam. As time went on, the volume fraction of CO in town gas declined as the process improved. Town gas was essentially hydrogen gas with some CO2, CO, CH4 and N2 contaminants. But the best quality gases were 60% hydrogen. The leakage problem was solved by distributing the gas through cast iron pipes at almost ambient pressure. Town gas was usually distributed at a positive pressure no greater than a few inches of water. So only slightly above atmospheric. It worked well for as long as there was cheap coal to manufacture it.

Trying to make hydrogen out of electricity is a far more dubious proposition. Electricity is usually more valuable than a chemical fuel and the conversion process is inefficient. So unless electricity is very cheap, electrolytic is a poor use of energy. It stands a better chance of competing with alternatives if the hydrogen is used as feedstock for manufacture of a valuable chemical, like ammonia or iron.

Last edited by Calliban (2023-12-14 17:20:04)

Void · 2023-12-14 18:33:24

This response: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 10#p217210 (Post #1525)

Done

Last edited by Void (2023-12-14 18:34:08)

tahanson43206 · 2023-12-30 09:14:03

For Void re U235 for KRUSTY...

You're welcome! and thank ** you ** for the context of the question for Mars!

A fusion future might offer better prospects for Mars, because any water that may be found there is likely to contain deuterium, and while water will also be difficult to find/collect/purify for use, it seems likely (to me at least) it will be easier to find water than Uranium.

Calliban seems to think a fission power design might work on Mars, but I suspect even his designs are based upon unknown quantities of elements on Mars.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-01-07 12:14:09

For Void re interesting idea in post: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 32#p218232

I think you have an idea worth developing, so I hope you will look around in the forum to see if anyone has designed a rocket powered vehicle for service on Mars. If you find such a person, you would have the opportunity to study their work, to see if their design would serve in your interesting scenario.

If you had any questions, perhaps the person (if there is one) would be willing to try to answer.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-01 12:10:51

For Void re Tesla OPTIMUS Deep Dive w/ AI & Robotics Experts James Douma & Scott Walter PART 1

Thanks for this ** very ** nice addition to the new Optimus topic ...

The video is an hour long, so I only skipped through it for a first visit, but the video includes a number of sequences showing the training of simulated robots to walk and carry out numerous other activities. Toward the end of the hour, the presentation shows training of a simulated gladiator with sword and shield.

Atlas is featured in the early part of the video.

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tahanson43206 · 2024-02-03 07:41:48

For Void ...

The post below was created in 2012....

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 43#p111843

That post is conveniently situated to serve as the location of an index to valuable posts in the topic.

You have the ability to add (edit) posts you created, so it would be a valuable service to provide links to advice/recommendations that are to be found in the topic. You don't have to do anything, except to grant permission for the Mods to use your post for an index.

If you are willing to allow that post to be used as an index, you could grant permission with a single short addition to the post.

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SpaceNut · 2024-02-03 08:03:24

The post is within the iron and steel topic with an I am done marker currently.

The last post in the topic is from KBD512 with what would be an index the one berfore by Calliban was very much like an index.

In general energy is the requirement to leverage mars insitu materials.

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-03 18:00:12

Hi Void!

This post is about your new post in the Optimus topic.

I ran a quick search and we have no topics with either neural or mind in the title.

If you want to create a topic with focus on those words, and opening with the Musk announcement, that would seem reasonable to me.

I like having your post in the Optimus topic, because I am interested in Teleoperation using the machine. I am not interested in the independent functioning of the robot, but I recognize that a lot of folks ** are ** interested in that alternate future.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-05 07:28:42

For Void about Optimus video ...

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 19#p219019

That is a long(ish) video, with a teaser about lifting a piano, but in scanning the video, I found a sequence showing a piano hanging from a cable in a large room, but did not see Optimus doing anything with the piano. By any chance, do you know the time marker where Optimus is actually doing something with the piano?

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tahanson43206 · 2024-02-25 22:25:42

For Void re topic titles ...

Thank you for your many contributions to this forum over a number of years...

We are publishing your creative ideas to the Internet, and potentially to more folks than just the tiny number who are active members.

You may well have regular readers who are not members.

My interest is primarily in trying to help those (hypothetical) readers to find posts that might be of interest to them.

That interest is quite different from the interests of our members who post to each other, and enjoy the back-and-forth that frequently enlivens the flow.

In the instance of the recent Gold Hydrogen topic duplication, we learned that you had indeed done a search before starting a new topic, but your search was not successful. This is perfectly understandable, because the search tool is not easy to use or intuitive. I have a perspective provided by exposure to the data structures of the forum, due to my work as part of the Admin team.

If you ever would be interested in learning a bit more about the search tool and how it works, I'd be happy to try to help.

In the mean time, let both Gold Hydrogen topics flourish!

***
Speaking of things flourishing ... I've been working this evening on adding a rocket flame to the Blender animation of the Cycloid Payload Delivery system, and i am literally glowing from the bright yellow light emitted by the object in the animation. I have more work to do to prepare the work for display, but am encouraged by the results. I tell you this because you have already demonstrated awesome skill with tools for image creation, and I have the suspicion that if you ever decide to experiment with Blender, your creations will become even ** more ** impressive.

I am happy to share what I am learning (or more accurately, re-learning) about Blender. However, each skill is perishable and it lasts for only a few days in my working memory, so if you ever ** are ** curious about something, it is best to ask shortly after it shows up.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-26 07:59:30

For Void re possible Index level for Void Postings ....

In light of your many posts over a number of years, and taking into account your preference for creating the structure for those posts, it occurred to me that we (Admins) might consider providing you with an Index level of your own.

This would be comparable to a publishing house setting up a column for a writer. The record of quality of your posts speaks for itself.

While each of the four Admins must agree to anything we do along these lines, I think there is a decent chance this proposal would be supported.

In this context, you would have editorial control over the new index level, and would be able to create any topic that suits you at any time.

While I cannot guarantee that your work would never endure scrutiny, we could (collectively) agree to give you freedom to use this capability as you see fit. Based upon your existing record, I think that over all, the content would be worth readers' time.

(th)

Void · 2024-02-26 10:37:01

Let me know what you want, and I will try to be useful.

Done

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-29 13:48:15

For Void re #48

So far, SpaceNut has not endorsed the idea of awarding an entire index level to an individual member.

That would be a gigantic leap from current policy, so I can understand the hesitation.

However, your most recent post about a careful, painstaking scientific study of how the introduction of powdered rock to a test farm reminded me that Agriculture might deserve an Index level forum of it's own.

As a reminder, the "soil" of Mars may contain a significant percentage of chlorine. A plot of Mars soil you are tending might respond if you add carbon, as you suggested you might do in your post. I am hoping you will have time to consider these side issues as you explore many topics.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-03-08 08:55:39

For Void re Magnetic Mining

In recognition of your bold thinking, please investigate the feasibility of deploying an electromagnet at Apophis, when it passes by Earth in 2029. I have no idea if the material in Apophis is suitable for harvesting using this method, but research of public records might reveal spectrographic readings that could help in determining the practicality of this particular harvesting method.

In addition, it should be possible to obtain Real Universe data on the practicality of the idea right here on Earth. If a simulation of the kind of material that might be found in an asteroid is prepared, then it should be possible to draw a bar magnet through the material to see if any adheres to the magnet.

Theory is a powerful tool to start an inquiry, but practical documented observations are what will convince an investor to put hard earned money down.

(th)

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