Xref: utzoo sci.space:11326 sci.space.shuttle:3089
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!silver!chiaravi
From: chiaravi@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Lucius Chiaraviglio)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: In-flight liquification of air (was Re: space news from April 3 AW&ST)
Keywords: How do you do it?
Message-ID: <3961@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Date: 12 May 89 01:02:48 GMT
References: <1989May11.050951.11130@utzoo.uucp>
Reply-To: chiaravi@silver.UUCP (Lucius Chiaraviglio)
Organization: Department of Biology at Indiana University, Bloomington
Lines: 22

In article <1989May11.050951.11130@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry
Spencer) writes:
>Japan investigates Liquid Air Cycle Engines (which liquify atmospheric
>oxygen on the way up rather than carrying it all with them) for both
>aerospace planes and conventional boosters.  [. . .]

	How is liquification of air to be done without the use of horrendously
heavy equipment and huge energy expenditure?  (It seems that both would be
needed to liquify air, especially at the rate that would be needed.)

	Also, since air is only 21% oxygen, storage of liquified air would be
quite wasteful of weight and space.  Am I correct in assuming that none of the
liquified air would be stored (all used right away), and that liquid oxygen
for use after leaving the atmosphere would have been loaded before launch?  Or
has somebody developed some light equipment for rapid separation of nitrogen
from oxygen as well as liquifying air?

-- 
|   Lucius Chiaraviglio    |    Internet:  chiaravi@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
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