Posted on 01/18/2006 5:29:02 PM PST by KevinDavis
A new design for an ion engine promises up to 10 times the fuel-efficiency of existing electric propulsion engines, according to tests by the European Space Agency. The new thruster could be used to propel craft into interstellar space, or to power a crewed mission to Mars, ESA says.
Ion engines work by using an electric field to accelerate a beam of positively charged particles – ions – away from the spacecraft, thereby providing propulsion. Existing models, such as the engine used in ESA’s Moon mission, SMART-1, extract the ions from a reservoir and expel them in a single process.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientistspace.com ...
I watched a show about ion engines last night on the Science channel. It worked.
This news is just charging me up to go and put my finger in a light socket so I can feel the ions propel me to the ceiling!
(lighten up! I'm just joking)
Bob
I haven't heard that explaination before.
The ion engines I worked on used a strong magnetic field to 'excite' the atoms in the rocket's exhaust. A band of magnet flux was created in the nozzle area. The magnetic flux 'excited' the atom's electrons, causing the electron to jump to the next higher orbital shell; thus making the atoms 'Fatter'. Thus, 'Bigger' atoms were packed tightly against each other created more thrust, while maintaining the same mass.
As the atoms left the influence of the magnetic field, the 'excited' electrons dropped back to their 'normal' orbital shell, and a photon was released; thus the blue light that ion engines create.
A lot better than chemical rockets...
Can I get on your Space Ping list? I keep missing the good stuff...
Much lower thrust than chemical, but runs much longer.
And what do they do with the compensating negative charges? Positive ions are expelled out, but they cannot keep accumulating the electrons in the craft.
You are asking the wrong person. I'm not a rocket science nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express
The ions are neutralized after acceleration, or both charges are expelled the same direction.
Chemical rockets can be ion rockets as well. You just have to IONIZE the exhaust. Hydrazine is an example.
You take the exhaust, exite the atoms in the exhaust (thus making ions), the ions have electrons move to a higher orbital level. Now your exhaust pressure goes up, thus increasing the thrust, with the same burn rate, and the same fuel mass.
As the exhaust leaves the magnetic field, the excited electons drop back into their normal orbital shell, releasing a photon (conservation of energy and all that); creating a pretty blue hue. Simple, huh?
Ok...
Sounds simple...
How many more seconds of impulse could you generate doing that?
With only six weeks of transit time, a manned spacecraft flying to Mars could actually be smaller, since we don't need to waste so much space for consumables such as oxygen and water.
Does it clean the air too?
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