Xref: utzoo sci.physics:6819 sci.research:880 sci.space:10524
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.research,sci.space
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Room Temperature fusion - possible indications?
Message-ID: <1989Apr5.194855.4674@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <290@vlsi.ll.mit.edu> <1098@Portia.Stanford.EDU> <296@v7fs1.UUCP> <5849@pdn.nm.paradyne.com> <1989Mar26.003753.11770@utzoo.uucp> <17272@cisunx.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 89 19:48:55 GMT

In article <17272@cisunx.UUCP> jcbst3@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu (James C. Benz) writes:
>Well, if you are going to assume *lots* of relatively free fusion energy,
>why not just accelerate at 1G or some appreciable fraction thereof, until 
>you are halfway there, then turn around and decelerate at the same rate?

Because the power requirements are not merely high, but staggering, if
the fuel consumption is to be kept sane.  I did the calculation in sci.space
a week or two ago; it was way up in the terawatts, as I recall, given some
reasonable assumptions.  Never mind generating it; merely handling that
much power is a horrendous problem.  1% inefficiency means you have to
dissipate gigawatts of heat.

Someday; not today.
-- 
Welcome to Mars!  Your         |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
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