3 ms·
Again, this paper acknowledges the operating principles of an EM drive, but simply argues that the efficiency isn't sufficient to achieve a significant accelera
by mojomark 8y ago
Again, this paper acknowledges the operating principles of an EM drive, but simply argues that the efficiency isn't sufficient to achieve a significant acceleration. "Significance" is relative to the application and efficiency can certainly be improved. For example (and I'm just spit-balling here), using expensive superconducting materials or perhaps a metamaterial could drastically improve the q-factor (1) of the engine.
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_factor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_factor
- roywiggins 8y agoThe paper argues that any reactionless drive that produces more force per newton than a perfect photon drive can be turned into a perpetual motion machine, regardless of how it's built: "Since applying a constant force results in a constant acceleration, the kinetic energy of a mass driven by such a device increases quadratically with time, while the energy input increases only linearly with time. Thus, at some point, the kinetic energy of the device-driven mass exceeds the energy input, and if this energy is collected via decelerating the mass (via regenerative electromagnetic braking, for example), then there would be a net gain in energy." With a photon drive, the break-even point is at the speed of light (which you can never actually achieve), but with any drive that's more power-efficient, the break-even point will be less, and you will be able to extract limitless free energy by accelerating the drive past that point.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]