Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Speculation III
Message-ID: <6376@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Feb-86 20:11:50 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6376
Posted: Sat Feb  8 20:11:50 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Feb-86 20:11:50 EST
References: <1955@pur-phy.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 15

> In order for the burning solid fuel to rupture the ET, it would first have
> to burn through the ET insulation... The insulation has to
> have a huge R value. After you burn through that, you still have to
> get through the aluminum tank. That tank contains liquid [which cools it,
> and would increase tank pressure due to boiling]...

You are assuming that the jet gets through the insulation by heat.  Don't
forget sheer mechanical force.  Rocket engines have been used, experimentally
at least, for cutting tunnels through solid rock.  The main exhaust jet from
an SRB has a force of (I forget the exact number) something like a couple of
*million* pounds.  If even a small fraction of that hits a small area of a
thin-walled metal tank, it will go straight through.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry