Is a fact that Earth
is entering in a space where the asteroid activity is increasing, and until now
some meteorites that were not detected at time, have passed very close to earth
(luckily), or in the worst case hit the planet causing more than 1000 deaths
(Russia incident)
For that reason I’m
proposing the idea of building a Railgun in the international space station or an independent platform with the only purpose of destroy or deviate asteroids in collision trayectory.
It won’t be easy, cheap or safe but I think it worth the effort.
It won’t be easy, cheap or safe but I think it worth the effort.
For this Concept idea i was thinking in Energy Generation, Energy Storing, Projectile Propulsion and Projectile
Energy Generation
First we have to consider how we are going to harvest the huge amount of energy needed to cause the projectile propulsion.
The first option could be a nuclear reactor because they are capable of generate huge amounts of energy and last hundreds of years before depleting all the fuel. Considering that in space there is a lot more gamma radiation, produced by the sun, than in any nuclear reactor made by mankind, it won’t be a problem for crew safety. Also, if the reactor goes unstable, it won’t blow up by the absence of air, it only will radiate heat energy and gamma radiation. The only great disadvantage is the weight and how put it in space.
The second option is to set up a thermodynamic gas cycle (Rankine Cycle) to harvest the heat produced by the sun, concentrating this radiation to heat up pipelines which will contain a transfer fluid, that will be sent to a turbine to produce electric energy. Remanent heat can be used to keep crew warm or disposed to the space. Also it can be aid by the common solar pannels used for satelites or space stations.
Energy Generation
First we have to consider how we are going to harvest the huge amount of energy needed to cause the projectile propulsion.
The first option could be a nuclear reactor because they are capable of generate huge amounts of energy and last hundreds of years before depleting all the fuel. Considering that in space there is a lot more gamma radiation, produced by the sun, than in any nuclear reactor made by mankind, it won’t be a problem for crew safety. Also, if the reactor goes unstable, it won’t blow up by the absence of air, it only will radiate heat energy and gamma radiation. The only great disadvantage is the weight and how put it in space.
The second option is to set up a thermodynamic gas cycle (Rankine Cycle) to harvest the heat produced by the sun, concentrating this radiation to heat up pipelines which will contain a transfer fluid, that will be sent to a turbine to produce electric energy. Remanent heat can be used to keep crew warm or disposed to the space. Also it can be aid by the common solar pannels used for satelites or space stations.
Energy Storing
Considering how to store the energy, to be used when it is needed, the best way is using what we know as supercapacitors, which works with low
voltage and have capacitances of 3000 Farads and higher. These capacitors can work with low Voltages and deliver high peak currents in fractions of seconds. Also, they can withstand high frecuencies of charge/discharge cycles. The only problem of these supercapacitors is that they have to be under pressures of 1 atm in order to work well, because they use an ionic organic solution that might evaporate in vacuum environment, causing the failure.
Other option is to use thin aluminium plates capacitors with very small gaps between them, using the space vacuum as an electrical insulator.
The diference between them is that thin aluminium plates capacitors need more volumetric area, than supercapacitor, to store the same amount of energy, but they doesnt need to be pressurised as supercapacitors.
Whichever the case, both elements can be used without any problems.
Other option is to use thin aluminium plates capacitors with very small gaps between them, using the space vacuum as an electrical insulator.
The diference between them is that thin aluminium plates capacitors need more volumetric area, than supercapacitor, to store the same amount of energy, but they doesnt need to be pressurised as supercapacitors.
Whichever the case, both elements can be used without any problems.
Projectile Propulsion
To achieve the velocity needed for the projectile, the best way to do it is with magnetic propulsion (railgun). This propulsion can be achieve very easly in space, because it is at 2,7 Kelvin degrees. Under this temperature superconductors can be used to generate very high magnetic fields with low energy consumption.
Also, using this type of propulsion we won't have the traditional recoil. In this case the reaction forces caused by the projectile propulsion will try to separate the rails from each other, but the rails will be fixed and this reactions forces cancel each other on their axis of action, the only need will be materials, and the proper engineering, to withstand the high mechanical stress caused by the reaction forces.
The only disadvantage is if the current that pass through the rail is high enough to interact with Earth's magnetic field it will cause a dangerous rotation. Depending on how big are these magnetic interaction, they could be mitigated using common space maneuvering system. The thing is to take it into account on the design.
Projectile
To cause a change in direction on an asteroid in the space, mass and energy really matters. So, the projectile must be made from heavy material (Lead or depleted uranium) plus I consider that inside it might carry two stable nuclear masses, in order when they hit the target and penetration begins, the masses fuse together achieving critical mass and, with the high pressures of impact, start the nuclear chain reaction inside the asteroid.
Also, using this type of propulsion we won't have the traditional recoil. In this case the reaction forces caused by the projectile propulsion will try to separate the rails from each other, but the rails will be fixed and this reactions forces cancel each other on their axis of action, the only need will be materials, and the proper engineering, to withstand the high mechanical stress caused by the reaction forces.
The only disadvantage is if the current that pass through the rail is high enough to interact with Earth's magnetic field it will cause a dangerous rotation. Depending on how big are these magnetic interaction, they could be mitigated using common space maneuvering system. The thing is to take it into account on the design.
Projectile
To cause a change in direction on an asteroid in the space, mass and energy really matters. So, the projectile must be made from heavy material (Lead or depleted uranium) plus I consider that inside it might carry two stable nuclear masses, in order when they hit the target and penetration begins, the masses fuse together achieving critical mass and, with the high pressures of impact, start the nuclear chain reaction inside the asteroid.
According to conservation of energy, we can think, or suppose, that the heat energy produced by the nuclear core, inside the asteroid, will irradiate to all the matter around of it. This Energy will be absorved causing a change of state in the matter of the surroundings (solid - liquid - gas) resulting in an increaing of pressure inside of the asterioid.
Depending on how violent is the nuclear reaction inside of the asteroid, two things can happen. The first one can be that the violent increase of pressure, due to the increase of gas volume, inside of the asteroid could cause a crack, or fracture, in two or more pieces reducing the potencial damage to life in Earth. The second thing is that the gas created in the inside of the asteroid escape through the entry hole causing something similar to rockect propulsion, causing a change of direction or reduction of velocity.
Depending on how violent is the nuclear reaction inside of the asteroid, two things can happen. The first one can be that the violent increase of pressure, due to the increase of gas volume, inside of the asteroid could cause a crack, or fracture, in two or more pieces reducing the potencial damage to life in Earth. The second thing is that the gas created in the inside of the asteroid escape through the entry hole causing something similar to rockect propulsion, causing a change of direction or reduction of velocity.
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