A Flux Capacitor

[abebarker]

A Flux Capacitor

[T3sl4co1l]

All well and good, but how do you propose to electrostatically accelerate, and electromagnetically deflect, neutral particles in the atmosphere?

If you look at the equivalent circuit of the flux in a magnet, a "capacitor" there (i.e., introducing a component into the flux path, such that the loop quantity (flux) equals capacitance times the time-derivative of the terminal difference quantity: namely, Phi = C * dM/dt, where M is magnetomotive force in amp-turns), the circuit equivalent (i.e., at the terminals of the coil) is simply...

*drum roll*

...A resistor.

So a "capacitor" that "capacitates" flux (instead of the usual kind that works with current), is known as a resistor.  None so exciting, and rather mundane (all lossy transformer cores exhibit flux capacitance, that's why they're lossy!).

Tim

[T3sl4co1l]

No. The capacitor does not capacitate magnetic flux. That is just silly. The capacitor is really an electric field generator.

Geez, I go to extraordinary lengths to form a precise analogy describing what I mean, and it still gets short-circuited by someone... 

Tim

[helius]

What's the point? Ion propulsion is much simpler, requires no "coils", and actually works as can be demonstrated on a table top with very simple parts.

[free_electron]

so you built a particle accelerator. been around for years. we use those to shoot the dopant into silicon to make transistors.


the problem is your particle source. space is very thin so you will need a big scoop... you can attract them electrostatically , charge em , accelerate em electrostatically then deflect them magnetically to steer the caft. so you basically designed a steerable Bussard Ramjet. except for the fusion part.
you expell the trapped ions before they reach fusion.  you may as well go all the way. much more power ...

[calexanian]

I thought we are all supposed to have backyard fusion generators by now. And where the hell are our jet packs the 50's and 60's promised us? I blame the democrats! 

[Delta]

I thought we are all supposed to have backyard fusion generators by now. And where the hell are our jet packs the 50's and 60's promised us? I blame the democrats! 

There was an article in the highly respected British publication "the Viz" not so long ago along the lines of "scientists adjust date of when we'll be living in the future. 2020 had long been seen as the date when we'd all be wearing shiny silver clothes and driving jet cars, but scientists yesterday extended that date to 2050"

[KedasProbe]

I will just go back in time and prevent this information leak from happening. 

[LukeW]

I thought we are all supposed to have backyard fusion generators by now. And where the hell are our jet packs the 50's and 60's promised us? I blame the democrats! 

Well, I'm sure in 1985 you can just buy plutonium at any corner drugstore!

[ranch varment]

A couple of metal plates with paper mache' between and a couple of coils together will shoot you off into outerspace.

Hell you could probably sell it to someone for $100. 

[javipallinux]

Hello everyone, I leave this videos, which is going to be interested to






The Doc in Buenos Aires, Argentina

[John Coloccia]

To me, the term "flux capacitor" always brought to mind the image of an inductor. Maybe I'm just not very imaginative.

[T3sl4co1l]

A lossy inductor to be exact, if we're talking magnetic flux that is.

[FlyingHacker]

Here is my Flux Capacitor.

[alexanderbrevig]

Here is my Flux Capacitor.

 

[vk6zgo]

Now I realize that the words "Flux Capacitor" conjures some specific images. Of course it has some associations with time travel. I am going to play with some of those associations and maybe add to them to talk about a phenomena that I find intriguing and potentially transformative to science and technology in the future.

The Flux Capacitor that I am proposing has the ability to be a propulsion device. This device will work in the thin plasmas of the solar or galactic wind, found in space. It will also work upon the neutral particles found within the atmosphere.  The physics is rather simple, employing electricity and magnetism.

The device:
1) An electric field generator, aka capacitor. Can be a single plate, facing plates, opposing shielded plates, etc.
2) A magnetic field generator, aka flux. Not many ways to generate a magnetic field, so a coil, at right angle to electric field.

Operation:
A high tension electric field accelerates particles through a magnetic field. The presence of the magnetic field causes the particles, that should move toward the plate to actually move tangentially to it. In a plasma the free charges will oscillate but continue to travel perpendicular to the accelerating force of the electric field. Plasma physicists call this phenomena 'drift'. A neutral molecule will distend, as any dielectric in a capacitor does, but will eventually come to rest and not experience any more acceleration. That is when the magnetic field is then reversed followed by the electric field. Because the magnetic field is reversed, when the particles are accelerated in the opposite direction, the actual direction of movement is same as the previous instance. Therefore there is a continuous force in a single direction provided by oscillating fields.

For space travel, these fields can be projected outside of the craft to some distance. We know that the vacuum of space is not really empty, there are always some charged particles. They can be accelerated to propel the craft and no propellent need be carried. Since this technique will work with neutral particles, a flying car or hover board could conceived.

A very crude depiction.

Sounds a lot like an "EH Antenna"----they don't work,either!

http://www.w8ji.com/e-h_antenna.htm