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Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 05:04:37
From: Space Digest maintainer <digests@isu.isunet.edu>
Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu
Subject: Space Digest V15 #445
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk
Space Digest Sat, 21 Nov 92 Volume 15 : Issue 445
Today's Topics:
FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY For Spacecraft
shuttle computers
SSTO Viability (was: Shuttle replacement)
Town Meeting
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 01:50:02 EST
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Subject: FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY For Spacecraft
-From: mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu
-Newsgroups: sci.space
-Subject: FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY For Spacecraft
-Date: 17 Nov 92 22:44:40 GMT
-Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
- The technology described in the article copied below could be used to
-power spacecraft, space colonies, etc.:
- FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
- by Robert E. McElwaine, Physicist
- Ninety to a hundred years ago, everybody "knew" that a
- heavier-than-air machine could not possibly fly. It would
- violate the "laws" of physics. All of the "experts" and
- "authorities" said so.
There's a difference between violating established "laws" of physics and
extending the established base of engineering knowledge. (Though even some
distinguished authorities may tend to forget the distinction.)
- Today, orthodox physicists and other "scientists" are
- saying similar things against several kinds of 'Free Energy'
- Technologies, using negative terms such as "pseudo-science"
- and "perpetual motion", and citing so-called "laws" which
- assert that "energy cannot be created or destroyed" ("1st law
- of thermodynamics") and "there is always a decrease in useful
- energy" ("2nd law of thermodynamics"). The physicists do not
- know how to do certain things, so they ARROGANTLY declare
- that those things cannot be done. Such PRINCIPLES OF
- IMPOTENCE are COMMON in orthodox modern "science" and help to
- cover up INCONSISTENCIES and CONTRADICTIONS in orthodox
- modern theories.
Isn't it strange that of the inventors who claim that most of the established
principles of physics are wrong, and come up with wildly unconventional
theories of their own, so many of them boast of having "little formal
education", and do not even possess the mathematical tools to understand
that which they dispute?
- Free Energy Inventions are devices which can tap a
- seemingly UNLIMITED supply of energy from the universe, with-
- OUT burning any kind of fuel, making them the PERFECT
- SOLUTION to the world-wide energy crisis and its associated
- pollution, degradation, and depletion of the environment.
- For example, at least three U.S. patents (#3,811,058,
- #3,879,622, and #4,151,431) have so far been awarded for
- motors that run EXCLUSIVELY on permanent MAGNETS, seemingly
- tapping into energy circulating through the earth's magnetic
- field. The first two require a feedback network in order to
- be self-running. The third one, (as described in detail in
- "Science & Mechanics" magazine, Spring 1980), requires
- critical sizes, shapes, orientations, and spacings of
- magnets, but NO feedback.
I believe I actually read that issue. The fellow had set up a linear
configuration of magnets, and caused another magnet to move from one
end of the array to the other. (No surprise there - that's well within
the realm of established physics.) The article went on to say that all
he had to do was buy a few more magnets, and he would have enough to
curve the track into a circle, so it would run forever! (At which point
I burst out laughing - I invented the all-permanent-magnet motor when I
was seven or eight years old, and it took me only about half an hour of
experimenting with magnets and pieces of steel to figure out why it wouldn't
work. I consider it pitiful that grown men are working on this, and
spending years at it.) I've *never* seen an article of this type followed up
by another article stating that "he's got it working now, and it's running
beautifully" - any subsequent articles are about *somebody else's* great
invention that's "nearly completed".
- A second type of free-energy device, such as the 'Gray
- Motor' (U.S. Patent #3,890,548), the 'Tesla Coil', and the
- unpatented motor of inventor Joseph Newman, taps ELECTRO-
- MAGNETIC energy by INDUCTION from 'EARTH RESONANCE' (about 12
- cycles per second plus harmonics). They typically have a
- 'SPARK GAP' in the circuit which serves to SYNCHRONIZE the
- energy in the coils with the energy being tapped. It is
- important that the total 'inductance' and 'capacitance' of
- the Device combine to 'RESONATE' at the same frequency as
- 'EARTH RESONANCE' in order to maximize the power output.
Tesla was interested in using the Tesla coil as a power *transmitter*, but
the power came from a conventional AC power plant (which he also invented,
by the way). The Newman machine is a battery-powered motor-generator, of which
the motor portion has been complimented as a clever and unique design. The
generator portion puts out narrow, intense spikes of voltage and current,
which a typical power meter would read as a considerably greater power level
than what is actually produced. The researchers who investigated the machine
(and who had access to more precise instruments) stated the opinion that
given this peculiar property of the machine, it was plausible that the
inventor was sincere in his belief that the machine was putting out more
power than it took in.
- Robert E. McElwaine
- B.S., Physics, UW-EC
I don't think we can say that there will never be discoveries of amazing
and unconventional energy sources, but in general the current crop of
"fringe" researchers sure don't seem very well equipped to do so.
I'm also sending this to Robert McElwaine via email, since I have been
unable to find any evidence that he even bothers to read sci.space after
dumping his posts here.
All opinions are my own.
John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 02:15:52 EST
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Subject: shuttle computers
-From: borden@sol.UVic.CA (Ross Borden)
-Subject: shuttle computers
-Date: 20 Nov 92 20:42:27 GMT
-Organization: University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. CANADA
-Do the GPC's have hard drives?
I'm virtually certain they don't. Hard disks *are* used in personal
computers on the Shuttle (after all, they're mighty convenient),
but they don't have anywhere near 5000 hours MTBF under the conditions
in the Shuttle. (As I said before, one hard drive on a personal computer
seized up on the last flight.)
-If so, how do they guard against
-shock, vibration, etc?
-| rborden@ra.uvic.ca |
I would guess that they're powered down during launch and landing. (There
could well be military disk drives that would have a better chance to work
under those conditions, but even those would be likely to reduce the
reliability of the GPCs if used in them.)
John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:40:26 GMT
From: Hugh Emberson <hugh@whio.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz>
Subject: SSTO Viability (was: Shuttle replacement)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle,sci.space
>>>>> On Fri, 20 Nov 1992 17:11:16 GMT, ewright@convex.com (Edward V. Wright) said:
Edward> In <1992Nov19.150400.24961@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes:
>We need to do other things as well. There was an article on this in
>a recent issue of Design News and the British newspaper The Guardian
>is also working on an article.
Anyone know which issue of design news that was?
Edward> Timing is critical. I know that McDAC isn't spending a lot of money
Edward> on advertising and PR, but I hope they're ready with a good press
Edward> kit to hand out at the first launch. Space groups supporting SSTO
Edward> should have their own press kits ready also.
My mother tells me that a TV show we get here (NZ) called "Beyond
2000" (its Austrailian, but I believe that lots of countries get it)
had a segment on DC-{X,Y,1} a couple of weeks ago. I missed it :-(.
Anyway the segment was enough to get my mother excited enough to rave
about it to me. This leads me to believe that it could have quite an
public appeal if it was sold to the public properly.
Hugh
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 03:49:59 EST
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Subject: Town Meeting
I just saw the midnight NASA Select replay of the Indianapolis Town Meeting.
I thought it was very interesting - many important issues were brought up.
Administrator Goldin covered much of the same ground in his introductory
speech as he did in the previous Town Meetings, but not in exactly the
same words, which I thought showed some consideration for the television
audience.
The meeting went very well, at least until some maniac (didn't quite catch
the name - Huggins, or some such) totally disrupted the proceedings by asking
some tough questions on DCX and other subjects. :-) :-)
I'd better let Bill comment on the reply. (If he wants, I can extract a
transcript of the question and the answer.)
John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
------------------------------
End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 445
------------------------------