- The mad concept of a space elevator [1], proves the idea
that just having the right letters after your name will make anyone believe
you. Especially when the people in Washington can relate to it each day
when they go to work in an office building.
-
- First, let's consider what the ionosphere is. Note that
part of the name is "ion" which means an electrically charged
atom or molecule [2]. This is our SHIELD from solar radiation. Ions discharge
when in contact with ground.
-
- WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE FUSE
-
- It is well known that a very high voltage potential exists
between the earth and the ionosphere. Ionosphere electrical charge is believed
it to be at least 10 million volts with respect to the earth ground.
-
- Next, imagine a cable 62,000 miles long. A CONDUCTIVE
cable that is. Imagine the electrical arc as cable construction reaches
down toward earth. The 10 million volts will have a tremendous current
from millions of square miles of ionosphere. With millions of amps of peak
current and power levels in billions of watts, it will create quite a fireworks
display. The inherently CONDUCTING carbon nanotube cable will act as a
shorting wire carrying billions of watts of power. The current will continue
to flow between the earth and the ionosphere, until both are at the same
potential. But this is just the beginning of big trouble.
-
- A good example of what will happen has already been proven
on a space shuttle mission. On mission STS-75 [3], 3,500 volts at .48 Amps
was measured when a tethered satellite was lowered about 12 miles. The
satellite was lost when the aluminized tether snapped. It was later determined
that the Kevlar tether broke, from burning through where it contacted the
payload bay deployment tower. Remember this was a cable just 12 miles long,
yet it developed 1,680 watts of power. Now imagine how much power a cable
62,000 MILES LONG will develop, connected between ground and the charged
ionosphere of the entire planet.
-
- The current with the ionosphere's 10 million volts will
almost certainly vaporize the cable. But that would be a blessing, because
of the repercussions of this cable.
-
- WHO NEEDS THE IONOSPHERE ?
-
- Remember the reputation of freon gas ? It was accused
of damaging the ionosphere. Whether or not this is true has yet to be determined.
Yet without doubt, we MUST have the ionosphere. What happens if we neutralize
this natural SHIELD of charged particles that protect us from ultraviolet
and solar radiation ? Would radiation levels on earth suddenly become so
high that no one could go outside for years to come ? No one really knows,
but who would be foolhardy enough to find out at the expense of the world's
population ? If we damage the ionosphere, China and other countries will
take a very dim view of such an action, and it could result in more war
around the globe.
-
- Everyone in the space elevator project is so focused
on stresses in the cable, and the perceived benefits that apparently no
one considers the effects on the entire earth just by building it. And
this is outside of other numerous engineering problems. Although this is
called a "cable," it functions more like a giant post anchored
in the ground.
-
- HOW FAST WILL THIS CABLE MOVE THROUGH SPACE ?
-
- EARTH
-
- First, a few facts about our earth: Earth's diameter
at the equator: average 7,926.41 miles Rotation: 1 revolution per 24 hours.
Circumference: 24901.609656 miles Your speed on earth at sea level: 1037.567
MPH. You will travel 24,900 miles each and every day of your life, even
if you sit in a chair the entire day.
-
- CABLE FOR THE ELEVATOR
-
- Stated cable length: 62,000 miles Entire distance the
end of the cable must move in 24 hours: 414,460 miles ! [5]
-
- The distance at the end of the cable travels is more
than 16 times the diameter of the earth. Put another way, to rotate once
every 24 hours the far end of the elevator cable MUST move at 16 times
the velocity of the surface of the earth, at 16,601.072 MPH !
-
- THE VELOCITY PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE
-
- And then there are other problems. The cable must move
through space at the same speed as the surface of the earth it is anchored
to. It will be moving at approximately 22,500 MPH near the surface of the
earth. But it will be at a MUCH higher velocity the further from earth
as you travel length of it. Imagine in your mind the end of a yardstick
attached to the side of a baseball. Rotate the baseball slowly, and the
end of the yardstick moves many, times faster. Now you have an idea of
what will happen to the cable, the further from earth it is. It will also
be bombarded with space junk, mini-asteroids and sandblasted with billions
of micrometeorites [4].
-
- Could it survive this punishment ? There are still more
hazards to come.
-
- OTHER STRESS FACTORS
-
- Now think about how putting your hand out the window
of a speeding car hurt when you were a child.
-
- That would be nothing compared to the impact of space
rocks/asteroids traveling in excess of 16,000 MPH, colliding with the leading
edge of the nanotube elevator cable at an almost infinite number of angles.
-
- Current micrometeorite impacts on earth are in the millions
every day. You can stretch a large plastic sheet outside, and over a month
or so they will accumulate. Most of them have an iron content, about the
size of a grain of sand, and are black. You can also use a magnet to collect
them from the gutters on your home. Many can be found there. Micrometeorites
are everywhere.
-
- THE MANY HAZARDS OF SPACE
-
- 1. High vacuum (which causes outgassing in most organic
materials.)
-
- 2. High radiation.
-
- 3. Temperature cycling as the giant cable moves from
400F+ heat to near absolute zero in darkness. Space vehicles are white
for that reason- to reflect as much solar heat as possible.
-
- 4. Build-up of many tons of ice will be a major problem,
as the cable passes through the -50F upper atmosphere which although very
cold, has both air and moisture.
-
- 5. Expansion coefficient problems - where the end of
the cable attached to earth is at one temperature, while the other end
of the cable in space can suddenly have an 800 degree temperature change
in a matter of seconds. And other changes in temperature along the length
of it.
-
- 6. It must withstand 200 MPH jet stream wind stresses.
It is not possible to select a location for this cable on earth where the
jetstream will never be present. One only need to watch the weather on
TV anytime, to see how the jetstream meanders daily in its path all around
the earth.
-
- What effect will all these incredible stressors have
on the carbon nanotube cable over time ? No one knows for sure.
-
- HIGH RISK SYSTEM FOR HUMAN TRAVEL
-
- Since human lives are stake, it would be beyond fool-hardy
to start building the elevator based only on computer simulations, and
not using real world tests.
-
- In all fairness we must recognize that according to a
statement by scientist Bradley C. Edwards, who commented "we won't
have the right nanotube material until about 2 years from now."
-
- But the project is already well funded. Are we seeing
a well-funded disaster in the making ? Let's hope Edwards can think past
his own fame and fortune, and understand things that some things are foolhardy
and arrogant.
-
- PERFECTION IS NOT AN OPTION
-
- Oh yes- one more thing - The entire cable, ALL 62,000
miles of it must be perfect. This is quality control beyond imagination.
No one has made massive ultra-long nanotube cables like this before. To
accomplish flawless manufacture of a material never attempted before, would
be a god-like accomplishment. And meet all the rigors of the space environment
discussed above.
-
- A BETTER PLACE TO SPEND THE MONEY
-
- We would be far better off to invest the money into more
advanced propulsion systems, like those aboard the non-existent (?) TR3
black triangle. Its time this drive technology was released to the masses
that paid for it in the first place ! Such propulsion systems won't just
get us 62,000 miles from earth, but instead to other planets.
-
- Ted
-
-
- REFERENCES
-
- [1] - Space elevator story: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1894&ncid=1894&e
=1&u=/ap/20040625/ap_on_sc/space_elevator
-
- [2] - Definition of an ion: http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Ion
-
- [3] - Full story on STS-75: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/chron/sts-75.htm
-
- [4] - NASA micrometeorite damage photos: http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/HAS/cirr/em/11/6.cfm
-
- [5] - Cable circumference calculation in rounded terms
is:
-
- Cable radius: Earth's diameter / 2) + 62,000 = 65,963.205
miles Cable diameter: 65,963.205 miles * 2 = 131,926.41 miles Next we convert
this into what the overall cable end circumscribes, where (Cable diameter
is 131,926.41 miles) * pi = cable circumference of 414,460.01 miles.
-
-
- Update - Areas For More Elevator Research
-
- From Ted Twietmeyer 7-4-4
-
- More research is needed on:
-
- 1. A windshield wiper that still works after being subjected
to -400F to +400F and an 18,000 MPH wind.
-
- 2. A traction drive for the elevator that works when
the cable is covered with ice and no matter what cannot fail.
-
- 3. Asteroid-proof glass and elevator cab that can withstand
a measely 50,000 MPH impact from a one ton+ space rock.
-
- 4. Enough oxygen for the elevator cab to last for a year,
long enough in case they get stranded "up there."
-
- 5. A rope ladder that can reach 62,000 miles down to
earth, in the event it gets STUCK out there. And radiation proof spacesuits
for ALL the elevator occupants.
-
- 6. Better batteries to power the heating and cooling
system they will need, to keep from freezing and sweating to death.
-
- 7. Enough freeze-dried food (and water) to last a year
until they are rescued by the space shuttle, which is still grounded
-
- 8. A restroom on-board that has good ventilation for
obvious reasons...
|
