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The Lightcraft Project

The Lightcraft Project. Nette Brocks Columbia High School. Introduction. “The industry concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft, rockets, missiles, spacecraft, etc.”. Introduction. A rocket is “any device propelled by the ejection of matter”

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The Lightcraft Project

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  1. The Lightcraft Project Nette Brocks Columbia High School

  2. Introduction

  3. “The industry concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft, rockets, missiles, spacecraft, etc.”

  4. Introduction • A rocket is “any device propelled by the ejection of matter” • Challenge= finding the cheapest and most efficient fuel that can be ejected • Chemical fuels • Already operate at efficiencies so high that progress may be physically unattainable

  5. Introduction • Beamed Energy Propulsion (BEP) for an “era beyond oil” • Electromagnetic energy is beamed from a remote source to a craft for direct conversion into thrust • The majority of system mass is left on the ground

  6. Introduction

  7. Introduction

  8. Introduction

  9. Introduction 30 km

  10. Review of Literature • Dumas, Larry N., and Amy L. Walton. "Faster, Better, Cheaper: An Industrial View." ActaAstronauticaVol. 47 (2000): 607-621. Print. • Discussed the “new approach featuring focused, technically sophisticated, fast track missions.” • Davis, Eric W., and Franklin B. Mead. "Review of Laser Lightcraft Propulsion System (Preprint)." (2007). Print. • Explained the motives, configuration, benefits, life-cycle cost, estimated future costs, and Demonstration Program behind the Lightcraft

  11. Review of Literature • “Ground and Flight Tests of a Laser Propelled Vehicle,” • Elucidated the experiments of the new technology • “Flight Experiments and Evolutionary Development of a Laser Propelled, Trans-atmospheric Vehicle” • Summarized the background, technology design, and testing results of the concept.

  12. Review of Literature • Salvador, Israel I., and Leik N. Myrabo. "Airbreathing Hypersonic Laser Thermal Propulsion Experiments with a Lightcraft Vehicle- Status Update." Print • Suggested that the formation of blast waves was dependent of ignition surface • Kenoyer, David A., Israel Salvador, Leik N. Myrabo, Samuel N. Notaro, and P. W. Pragulla. "Experimental Investigation of Axial and Beam-Riding Propulsive Physics with TEA CO2 Laser." Print. • Tested lateral impulses

  13. Hypothesis

  14. Methods and Materials: Schlieren • Two Lumonics K-922M CO2 TEA lasers were fired • Laser 1 has 17 Jewels per shot; Laser 2 has 13 Jewels per shot • The beams reflected off a series of mirrors and hit a flat plate in unison • The flat plate set at 45º, 25º, and 0º angles to mimic different Lightcraft geometries

  15. Methods and Materials- Schlieren Various plate angles to determine if blast wave characteristics are independent of ignition surface

  16. Methods and Materials: AIMD • Angular Impulse Measuring Device • Lateral impulses • The Lightcraft was attached to the AIMD in an extended and a retracted position • The center of the Lightcraft was offset in increments of 5 mm • The offsets represented a range of -10% to +55% of the engine diameter

  17. Methods and Materials-AIMD • Laser 1 fired • An oscilloscope, attached to the AIMD, recorded the motion of the test engine

  18. Methods and Materials: AIMD

  19. Calculations: AIMD • Equations derived using the Equations of Motion • rc2= distance from spin axis to impulse (extended)=.1135 m • rc1= distance from spin axis to impulse (retracted)=.0786 m • IR= moment of inertia of the motor • ω=Angular velocity at moment after impulse; in radians per second

  20. Calculations: AIMD • IR= moment of inertia of the motor • Extended= 2.336E-4 Nms2 • Retracted= 9.804E-5 Nms2 • used the equation • K=spring constant=155.1N/m • r= spring distance from the spin axis = .04604 m • T=period (s) • Extended=0.1675 • Retracted=0.1085

  21. Calculations: AIMD • ω=Angular velocity at moment after impulse; in radians per second • The oscilloscope measured volts and seconds • Data was transferred from the oscilloscope to an excel chart • By taking the slope (volts/seconds) of the output voltage vs. time plot and converting using a known calibration (0.1367 volts = 1 radian), angular velocity in radians/second was calculated

  22. Calculations: AIMD • Since the angular velocity and the resulting slope changed rapidly with time, the range over which the slope was determined was reduced to a small range immediately after the laser pulse (E325:E425, D325:D425) • At the -10mm offset this domain yielded error; in this case the slope function was restricted to (E340:E425, D340:D425)

  23. Calculations: AIMD • Once impulse was calculated using this information, it was multiplied by a factor of 1000000/17 to produce the momentum coupling coefficient • The momentum coupling coefficient is equal to force thrust divided by beam power

  24. Results: AIMD

  25. Results: AIMD

  26. Discussion

  27. Conclusion • Both hypothesizes were supported • The inside of the shroud was lined with Delrin, and 00.028 grams were ablated during AIMD testing • Chipping of the propellant caused irregular results

  28. Thanks to • Dr. David Kenoyer • Dr. Israel Salvador • Dr. Leik Myrabo • Ms. Heidi Gleason • Ms. Strauss • Older and current Science Research students • Friends and family

  29. Bibliography •  “Aerospace.” Dictionary.com. Website.  • Aldrin, Buzz, and David Nolan. "A Bolder Mission." August 2009. Popular Mechanics. Print.   • Chaikin, Andrew. “For Neil Armstrong, the First Moon Walker, It Was All About Landing the Eagle.” • Davis, Eric W., and Franklin B. Mead. "Review of Laser Lightcraft Propulsion System (Preprint)." (2007). Print. • Discovery Channel. NASA in Your Home. Discovery Channel. Website. 12 Dec. 2009. http://www.dsc.discovery.com/tu/nasa/home-and-city/home-and-city-html. • Dumas, Larry N., and Amy L. Walton. "Faster, Better, Cheaper: An Industrial View." • Acta Astronautica Vol. 47 (2000): 607-621. Print. •  Edwards, Owen. “One Giant Leap.” Smithosian. Website. • Goldwasser, Samuel M. "Sam's Laser FAQ - Laser Safety." Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: Home Page (Drexel ECE Mirror). Web. 08 Oct. 2010. <http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/lasersaf.htm#safyor0>. • HowStuffWorks. Website. 12 Dec. 2009. http://www.science.howstuffworks.com/nasa-inventions.htm. • Kenoyer, David A. "Combined Experimental and Numerical Investigations into Laser Propulsion Engineering Physics." Diss. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2010. Print. • Kenoyer, David A., Israel Salvador, Leik N. Myrabo, Samuel N. Notaro, and P. W. Pragulla. "Experimental Investigation of Axial and Beam-Riding Propulsive Physics with TEA CO2 Laser." Print. • Kenoyer, David A. Personal interview. 23 July 2010. •  "Laser-powered Jet Engine." Halfbakery. 14 Mar. 2008. Website. 28 Dec. 2010. http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Laser-powered_20Jet_20Engine.

  30. Bibliography • Lightcraft: A Laser Push to Orbit. Centauri Dreams. 14 Sep. 2009. Website. 14. Jan. 2010. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.centauri-dreams.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/lightcraft1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.centauri-dreams.org/%3Fp%3D9413&usg=__ZzH_L4UmMDSsCajgmC2vR7zpYHw=&h=342&w=500&sz=30&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=vGhTa_lLOEQvDM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLightcraft%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive •  Lord, Morgan. “NASA’s New Modular Spacesuit Wil Handle Any Mission.” Popular Mechanics August 2009. Website. • Mead, Franklin B., and Leik N. Myrabo "Flight Experiments and Evolutionary Development of a Laser Propelled, Trans-atmospheric Vehicle." (1998). Print. •  Mirror.co.uk.Website. 12 Dec. 2009. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2009/07/21. •  Oberg, James. “How we'll return to the Moon.” Astronomy August 2009: 37(8), 24-29. Website. •  “Rocket.” The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language. New College Edition. 1978. Print. • Salvador, Israel I., and Leik N. Myrabo. "Airbreathing Hypersonic Laser Thermal Propulsion Experiments with a Lightcraft Vehicle- Status Update." Print • Salvador, Israel I. "Static and Hypersonic Experimental Analysis of Impulse Generation in Air-Breathing Laser-Thermal Propulsion." Diss. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2010. Print. •  Siuru, Bill. "Laser to Lift Lightcraft Into Space." Mechanical Engineering. Sept. 1990. 54-57. Print. •  Simpson, Bruce. My Jet Engine Projects. 12 Apr. 2009. Website. 12 Dec. 2009. http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet.

  31. Any questions?

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