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This post is inspired by report of research at high temperatures.
The topic opens with a report on research investigating flow between tungsten and plastic.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technolo … 0cfd7&ei=6
The report includes mention that this phenomenon has been observed at lower temperatures.
The Optical Plane project is dependent upon flow of thermal energy through a wall of carbon and then through a layer of hydrogen resistant material, to finally arrive with sufficient force to heat hydrogen flowing through a pipe.
The key finding of the research was that heat did NOT flow effectively from tungsten to plastic.
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This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
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It is time to begin to fill in this topic.
The Optical Plane concept is making progress in design of the engine system. This post is intended to bring focus back to the significant challenge of effectively transfering energy from solar photons to hydrogen molecules in a heating system.
In the OpenFOAM project we have skipped the entire problem by mathematically assuming perfect heat transfer. In the Real Universe, we won't be so lucky.
kbd512 has suggested the use of baffles inside the pipes. These would slow down progress of hydrogen through the pipe, but as I understand kbd512's idea, the baffles themselves would not particupate in the transfer of thermal energy to the hydrogen molecules.
The purpose of ** this ** post is to offer NewMars members the opportunity to think (and hopefully post) about how structures designed to slow movement of hydrogen through the heat pipe would contribute to heat transfer.
The first thought that comes to (my) mind is that in order for structures to contribute to transfer of thermal energy, they would need to receive thermal energy from some source. The closest candidate in the heat pipe scenario is the wall of the heat tube itself.
A time honoted structure used for transfer of thermal energy from a solid to a gas is a fin.
Perhaps kbd512's "baffle" might be implemented as a set of fins that are welded to the interior of the pipe wall, and which themselves contain small openings that would have the effect of disturbing the flow of hydrogen and causing turbulence that brings the molecules of gas into contact with the hot fin material.
It might be possible for a NewMars member to find (or perhaps create) an image that shows this concept in use. It seems likely to me that the problem of heat transfer from solid to gas must have been addressed on Earth. Perhaps there are records of investigations that might help us (in 2026) understand how the problem might be addressed.
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