A Fusion Thruster for Space Travel
Clean, highly energetic reaction delivers a lot of drive from a drop of fuel
Illustration: Getty Images
By Willie D. Jones / 28 June 2011
Designers of satellites obsess about how little fuel their creations are able to carry into space. So the propulsion method they choose for maneuvers such as orbital transfers has to deliver a lot for a little.
Now a NASA engineer has come up with a new way to fling satellites through space on mere grams of fuel, tens of times as efficiently as today’s best space probe thrusters. The answer, he says, is fusion. You might be thinking, "Fusion? Really?" But it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds at first blush. The engineer delivered the details today at the IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering in Chicago.
Instead of using deuterium and tritium as the fuel stocks, the new motor extracts energy from boron fuel. Using boron, an "aneutronic" fuel, yields several advantages over conventional nuclear fusion. Aneutronic fusion, in which neutrons represent less than 1 percent of the energy-carrying particles that are the result of a reaction, is easier to manage. "Neutrons are problematic, because for one thing they’re difficult to harness," says John J. Chapman, the concept’s inventor and a physicist and electronics engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center, in Virginia. To make use of neutrons, "you need an absorbing wall that converts the kinetic energy of the particles to thermal energy," he says. "In effect, all you’ve got is a fancy heat engine, with all its resultant losses and limitations."
In Chapman’s aneutronic fusion reactor scheme, a commercially available benchtop laser starts the reaction. A beam with energy on the order of 2 x 1018 watts per square centimeter, pulse frequencies up to 75 megahertz, and wavelengths between 1 and 10 micrometers is aimed at a two-layer, 20-centimeter-diameter target.
The first layer is a 5- to 10-µm-thick sheet of conductive metal foil. It responds to the teravolt-per-meter electric field created by the laser pulse by "acting as a de facto proton accelerator," says Chapman. The electric field releases a shower of highly energetic electrons from the foil, leaving behind a tremendous net positive charge. The result is a massive self-repulsive force between the protons that causes the metal material to explode. The explosion accelerates protons in the direction of the target’s second layer, a film of boron-11.
Transparent membranes for a 360° panorama during your flight? Passenger seats adapting to all your needs? Holographic displays providing you information about Mount Everest while passing it? A whole new entertainment experience? And probably of capital importance: No classes anymore, but payment by use of services?
Airbus wants to open your mind and give a glimpse of future air travel. It's 2050 concept cabin (see official infosite) develops modern technology trends to imagine a more comfortable and at the same time more exciting journey above the solid ground of Earth. Admittedly, in part it might be a bit of bauble gadgets that look unnecessary to common passengers. But still, visions are made to inspire - and of course to show off and exaggerate a little.
The video with a visualization of the concept plane by Airbus:
Article from Airbus website: Concept airplane: Airbus presents a panoramic view of 2050
Intelligent cabin interiors replace class system for a bespoke flying experience
Leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus, in advance of the Paris Airshow “Le Bourget”, today invited the passengers of 2050 to discover its Concept Cabin - a whole new flying experience inspired by nature.
Personalised zones replace traditional cabin classes to offer tailored levels of experience. While taking a hop between destinations, according to Airbus, passengers in 2050 could join an interactive conference; enjoy a game of virtual golf; read the kids back home a bedtime story; and recharge in a ‘vitalising seat’ whilst watching the planet spread out beneath their feet.
This latest instalment of The Future by Airbus – a vision of aviation in 2050 – follows last year’s unveiling of the revolutionary Airbus Concept Plane, packed with technologies to reduce fuel burn, emissions, waste and noise. The Airbus Concept Cabin now gives further insight into some of the innovations and technologies that will shape future passenger experiences on board.
The aircraft’s bionic structure mimics the efficiency of bird bone which is optimised to provide strength where needed, and allows for an intelligent cabin wall membrane which controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views.
The Concept Cabin has an integrated ‘neural network’ creating an intelligent interface between passenger and plane. It can identify and respond to passenger needs and enables bespoke features such as morphing seats which change to your body shape.
New personalised zones replace the traditional cabin classes in the Airbus Concept Cabin to offer new tailored levels of experience. The “vitalising zone” is all about wellbeing and relaxation allowing you to proactively recharge your batteries with vitamin and antioxidant enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments whilst taking in the infinite view of the world around you.
There are no limits to the kinds of social scenarios in the centre zone of the concept cabin – the “interactive zone”. The virtual pop up projections in this area can transform you to whichever social scene you want to be in, from holographic gaming to virtual changing rooms for active shoppers.
The “smart tech zone” is tailored towards the more functional oriented passenger with a chameleon style offering, to meet individual needs ranging from a simple to a complete luxury service, but all allowing you to continue life as if on the ground. By offering different levels of experience within each zone, airlines would be able to achieve price differentials and give more people access to the benefits of air travel with minimal environmental impact.
Showcasing the innovative interior design, Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering, said: “Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment. The Airbus Concept Cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination. Whichever flight experience is chosen, the passenger of 2050 will step out of the Airbus Concept Cabin feeling revitalised and enriched.”
More than 90 percent of Airbus’ annual research & development investment of over €2 billion has environmental benefits for current and future aircraft. For example, due to advances in technologies the concept cabin will be 100% recyclable. It will have self-cleaning materials made from sustainable plant fibres which reduce waste and maintenance and will harvest passenger body heat to power cabin features.
Such technologies are already being developed and, while they may not be seen in the exact same manner as in the Airbus Concept Plane and Cabin, some of them could feature in future Airbus aircraft programmes.
Visitors to Le Bourget International Airshow in Paris will also be able to experience the Airbus’ Future of Flight film, a 360 planetarium movie – a vision of the transformations in air transport between now and the middle of the century which not only focuses on aircraft designs and innovations, but also addresses passenger expectations. The movie will be part of the planetarium’s programme at the Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace from 20 – 26 June.
London-Tokyo in just 2 hours? A passenger plane with Mach-4 flying faster than the Concorde and almost 4 times as fast as the usual Jumbo Jet (Boeing 747)? Driven by biofuel and hydrogen? Around 100 passengers? And first flights scheduled for 2021 already? Sounds almost too good to be true. But the European enterprise EADS now unveiled their groundbreaking hypersonic jet ZEHS at Paris Air Show that does it all. Flytime!
Unveiling of the EADS ZEHST model at Paris Air Show - Source
Graphic of the EADS hypersonic jet (Click for FullRes) - Source
Scheme of the Mach-4 ZEHST jet (Click for FullRes) - Source
June 20, 2011 2:16 AM IST EADS Gives an Heir to the Concorde, the Mach-4 ZEHST
Aerospace group EADS, owner of planemaker Airbus, thinks it has the answer -- a hypersonic jet that flies above the atmosphere, yet takes off from a regular runway.
"It is not a Concorde but it looks like a Concorde, showing that aerodynamics of the 1960s were very smart," Jean Botti, EADS' chief technical officer, said.
By flying above the atmosphere and using biofuel to get the plane off the ground initially, the group hopes to avoid the supersonic boom and pollution Concorde was notorious for.
"When you are above the atmosphere nobody hears anything," Botti said.
The plane, being developed in collaboration with Japan, is being primarily designed with the business market in mind and could carry 50-100 passengers.
The concept project, known as ZEHST (zero emission high speed transport), comes as companies such as Virgin Galactic push forward with plans to take paying customers up on commercial space flights. Indeed, ZEHST is being developed using research from EADS' space arm Astrium.
Unlike Virgin Galactic customers, EADS says ZEHST would have a maximum acceleration of 1.2G, meaning passengers will not need any training in order to fly.
"The acceleration on people is very low, so no specific equipment or training is needed," Botti said.
The plane will take off using a regular turbofan engine, before rocket boosters kick in to start a sharp ascent, sending the plane soaring above the atmosphere.
Ramjet engines, currently used in missiles, will then take the plane up to altitudes of 32km as the plane cruises at speeds beyond Mach 4, or four times the speed of sound. After a gliding descent, the turbofans will reignite to enable landing.
"ZEHST has no novelty, it is all things that have been created before," Botti said, adding the company could have an unmanned demonstrator by 2020.
EADS boss Louis Gallois warned it could be another 30-40 years before commercial flights are a reality.
"We're not talking about a product that we launch in the next few years. We have to see security, integration of different technologies, how man reacts to it." Article source:http://in.ibtimes.com/articles/165523/20110620/eads-zehst-concorde-mach-4.htm
Additional video on YouTube: EADS ZEHST Hypersonic plane (hydrogen + alguae)
Scientists Create Tiny Artificial Brain That Exhibits 12 Seconds of Short Term Memory
By Clay Dillow
Posted 2011-06-02
It’s not artificial intelligence in the Turing test sense, but the technicolor ring you see above is actually an artificial microbrain, derived from rat brain cells--just 40 to 60 neurons in total--that is capable of about 12 seconds of short-term memory.
Developed by a team at the University of Pittsburgh, the brain was created in an attempt to artificially nurture a working brain into existence so that researchers could study neural networks and how our brains transmit electrical signals and store data so efficiently. The did so by attaching a layer of proteins to a silicon disk and adding brain cells from embryonic rats that attached themselves to the proteins and grew to connect with one another in the ring seen above.
But as if the growing of a tiny, functioning, donut-shaped brain in a petri dish wasn’t enough, the team found that when they stimulate the neurons with electricity, the pulse would circulate the microbrain for a full 12 seconds. That’s roughly 12 seconds longer than they thought it would (they expected the pulse to live for about a quarter of a second).
That’s essentially short-term memory. The neurons were relaying the signal in sequence, persistently, mimicking the activity we know as working memory (though admittedly we don’t understand it that well). The brain is basically storing the stimulus long after the stimulus is no more, which is a big deal for a tiny brain grown in a dish.
The International Space Station is our permanent link to the orbit and beyond. Mankind should be really thankful we managed to have a base in space. The station is now almost finished, finally!
The newly-installed Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 is visible at center of the International Space Station's starboard truss. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, is the largest scientific collaboration to use the orbital laboratory. This investigation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and made possible by funding from 16 nations. Led by Nobel Laureate Samuel Ting, more than 600 physicists from around the globe will be able to participate in the data generated from this particle physics detector. The mission of the AMS is, in part, to seek answers to the mysteries of antimatter, dark matter and cosmic ray propagation in the universe.
Aurora borealis (also called polar lights or northern lights) undoubtedly are an amazing phenomenon. If you ever had the unique pleasure to see some, you might feel like watching an alien kind of lasershow!
The dwarf galaxy NGC 4214 is ablaze with young stars and gas clouds. Located around 10 million light-years away in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs), the galaxy's close proximity, combined with the wide variety of evolutionary stages among the stars, make it an ideal laboratory to research the triggers of star formation and evolution.
Intricate patterns of glowing hydrogen formed during the star-birthing process, cavities blown clear of gas by stellar winds, and bright stellar clusters of NGC 4214 can be seen in this optical and near-infrared image.
Observations of this dwarf galaxy have also revealed clusters of much older red supergiant stars. Additional older stars can be seen dotted all across the galaxy. The variety of stars at different stages in their evolution indicates that the recent and ongoing starburst periods are not the first, and the galaxy's abundant supply of hydrogen means that star formation will continue into the future.
This color image was taken using the Wide Field Camera 3 in December 2009.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration
Acknowledgment: R. O'Connell (University of Virginia) and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee
Galaxy Closeup Reveals Best-Ever Snapshot of Black Hole Jets
Centaurus A Black Hole Jets This composite of visible, microwave (orange) and X-ray (blue) data reveals the jets and radio-emitting lobes emanating from Centaurus A's central black hole. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / flickr
By Rebecca Boyle - Posted at 23rd of May 2011
A gigantic black hole at the center of one of the Milky Way’s close neighbors is spewing jets of material into the cosmos, hurling gamma rays and radio waves into interstellar space. Now researchers in the U.S. and Germany peered at the galaxy with the closest-ever resolution, seeing galactic features up to 15 light-days across. That’s incredibly close for a galaxy 12 million miles away.
The black hole at the center of Centaurus A weighs in at 55 million suns and is the likely source of the huge gamma ray bubbles spotted by the Fermi Large Area Telescope last year, scientists said.
The black hole is invisible in a radio image of the galactic core, but the jets are quite apparent, making Centaurus A look like a spinning top. The jets feed huge lobes of radio-emitting gas, which also reach far beyond the visible galaxy.
Centaurus A Gas Lobes. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
To make this picture, scientists combined data from observatories on four continents: the Australian Long Baseline Array, the Hartebeesthoek antennae in South Africa, the 6 m Transportable Integrated Geodetic Observatory in Chile, and the 9 m German Antarctic Receiving Station in O’Higgins, Antarctica.
This is neat because scientists have never seen a galaxy at such high resolution before. Understanding how these jets radiate could help astronomers learn how black holes function and contribute to the apparently ubiquitous gamma radiation permeating the cosmos.
Large Image: Galaxies Collide in the Antennae Galaxies (NASA, Chandra, Hubble, Spitzer, 08/05/10)
A beautiful new image of two colliding galaxies has been released by NASA's Great Observatories. The Antennae galaxies, located about 62 million light years from Earth, are shown in this composite image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue), the Hubble Space Telescope (gold), and the Spitzer Space Telescope (red).
For the beginning, I'd like to make you realize, how small we actually are. The vastness of our universe is almost impossible to comprehend for a human's mind. The Milky Way, our home galaxy, consists of an estimated number of around 400 billion stars alone. Now imagine many of them having planets (estimations are ~ 50 billion) - and those having moons! And that's just our galaxy, there are billions of other ones, in some way it can be seen as an infinite number. How many life forms, how many civilizations might evolve in such an endless sea that forms the space above our heads? This graphic is a scale comparison of our sun to the planets of the solar system, amended by some interesting facts. 1.3 million Earths fit into our Sun! Which is a yellow dwarf star - there are way bigger stars out there in space.
And this video shows you how size is all relative - making our Earth and the sun look like tiny mites! (You can watch it in HD by clicking the video to open the YouTube page.)
This blog is dedicated to everyone who is fascinated by space exploration, innovations in research, scientific milestones, striking new technologies, trailblazing ways of creating architecture, sustainable and groundbreaking economical and political approaches, great visions of the future and the overall progress of humanity.
One small blog for a man, many giant leaps for mankind!
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Illustration: NASA Langley Research Center
