arXiv subjects

Alexander Bolonkin

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander Bolonkin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

New AB-Thermonuclear Reactor for Aerospace

There are two main methods of nulcear fusion: inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF). Existing thermonuclear reactors are very complex, expensive, large, and heavy. They cannot achieve the Lawson creterion. The author offers an innovation. ICF has on the inside surface of the shell-shaped combustion chamber a covering of small Prism Reflectors (PR) and plasma reflector. These prism reflectors have a noteworthy advantage, in comparison with conventional mirror and especially with conventional shell: they multi-reflect the heat and laser radiation exactly back into collision with the fuel target capsule (pellet). The plasma reflector reflects the Bremsstrahlung radiation. The offered innovation decreases radiation losses, creates significant radiation pressure and increases the reaction time. The Lawson criterion increases by hundreds of times. The size, cost, and weight of a typical installation will decrease by tens of times. The author is researching the efficiency of these innovations. Keywords: Thermonuclear reactor, Multi-reflex AB-thermonuclear reactor, aerospace thermonuclear engine. This work is presented as paper AIAA-2006-7225 to Space-2006 Conference, 19-21 September, 2006, San Jose, CA, USA.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Optimal Electrostatic Space Tower (Mast, New Space Elevator)

Author offers and researched the new and revolutionary inflatable electrostatic AB space towers (mast, new space elevator) up to one hundred twenty thousands kilometers (or more) in height. The main innovation is filling the tower by electron gas, which can create pressure up one atmosphere, has negligible small weight and surprising properties. The suggested mast has following advantages in comparison with conventional space elevator: 1. Electrostatic AB tower may be built from Earth surface without the employment of any rockets. That decreases the cost of electrostatic mast by thousands of times. 2. One can have any height and has a big control load capacity. 3. Electrostatic tower can have the height of a geosynchronous orbit (36,000 km) WITHOUT the additional top cable as the space elevator (up 120,000 - 160,000 km) and counterweight (equalizer) of hundreds of tons. 4. The offered mast has less total mass than conventional space elevator. 5. The offered tower can have the high-speed electrostatic climbers moved by high-voltage electricity from Earth's surface. 6. The electrostatic mast can bend in any needed direction when we give the necessary electric voltage in the required parts of the extended mast. 7. Control mast has stability for any altitude. Three projects 100 km, 36,000km (GEO), 120,000 km are computed and presented.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Extraction of Freshwater and Energy from Atmosphere

Author offers and researches a new, cheap method for the extraction of freshwater from the Earth atmosphere. The suggected method is fundamentally dictinct from all existing methods that extract freshwater from air. All other industrial methods extract water from a saline water source (in most cases from seawater). This new method may be used at any point in the Earth except Polar Zones. It does not require long-distance freshwater transportation. If seawater is not utilized for increasing its productivity, this inexpensive new method is very environment-friendly. The author method has two working versions: (1) the first variant the warm (hot) atmospheric air is lifted by the inflatable tube in a high altitude and atmospheric steam is condenced into freswater: (2) in the second version, the warm air is pumped 20-30 meters under the sea-surface. In the first version, wind and solar heating of air are used for causing air flow. In version (2) wind and propeller are used for causing air movment. The first method does not need energy, the second needs a small amount. Moreover, in variant (1) the freshwater has a high pressure (>30 or more atm.) and can be used for production of energy such as electricity and in that way the freshwater cost is lower. For increasing the productivity the seawater is injected into air and solar air heater may be used. The solar air heater produces a huge amount of electricity as a very powerful electricity generation plant. The offered electricity installation in 100 - 200 times cheaper than any common electric plant of equivalent output. Key words: Extraction freshwater, method of getting freshwater, receiving energy from atmosphere, powerful renewal electric plant.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Passenger life-saving in a badly damaged aircraft scenario

Offered is a new method for saving passenger lives in any catastrofic situation, including total failure of aircraft control, extreme damage and loss aircraft wings, tail, breakdown all propelling engines, etc. It shown here that previous works which have proposed using only parachutes are useless because their proposers failed to consider the likely overload of the parachute jerk stress (at the moment of parachute release) and the impact of aircraft on Earth surface. These jeck and impact destroy aircraft and kill passengers. Offered is a connected series of related technical innovations which overcome these obvious difficalties and allow for a soft, near zero speed landing in any topographically suitable place, allowing potential to save aircraft. This method may be applied to all existing airplanes and increases their weight only about 1.5 - 2.5%. Also, the method may be used for vertically landing the already built aircraft, for example, when any runway is damaged or would become overloaded.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

AB Levitator and Electricity Storage

The author researched this new idea - support of flight by any aerial vehicles at significant altitude solely by the magnetic field of the planet. It is shown that current technology allows humans to create a light propulsion (AB engine) which does not depend on air, water or ground terrain. Simultaniosly, this revolutionary thruster is a device for the storage of electricity which is extracted and is replenished (during braking) from/into the storage with 100 percent efficiency. The relative weight ratio of this engine is 0.01 - 0.1 (from thrust). For some types of AB engine (toroidal form) the thrust easily may be changed in any direction without turning of engine. The author computed many projects using different versions of offered AB engine: small device for levitation-flight of a human (including flight from Earth to Outer Space), fly VTOL car (track), big VTOL aircrat, suspended low altitude stationary satellite, powerful Space Shuttle-like booster for travel to the Moon and Mars without spending energy (spended energy is replenished in braking when ship returns from other planet to its point of origin), using AB-devices in military, in sea-going ships (submarimes), in energy industry (for example. as small storage of electric energy) and so on. The vehicles equipped with AB propulsion can take flight for days and cover distances of tens thousands of kilometers at hypersonic or extra-atmosphere space speeds. The work contains tens of inventions and innovations which solves problems and breaks limitations which appear in solution of these very complex revolutionary ideas. Key word: AB levitator, levitation, non-rocket outer space flight, electric energy storage, AB propulsion, AB engine, Bolonkin.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Design of Optimal Regulators

Current research suggests the use of a liner quadratic performance index for optimal control of regulators in various applications. Some examples include correcting the trajectory of rocket and air vehicles, vibration suppression of flexible structures, and airplane stability. In all these cases, the focus is in suppressing/decreasing system deviations rapidly. However, if one compares the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) solution with optimal solutions (minimum time), it is seen that the LQR solution is less than optimal in some cases indeed (3-6) times that obtained using a minimum time solution. Moreover, the LQR solution is sometimes unacceptable in practice due to the fact that values of control extend beyond admissible limits and thus the designer must choose coefficients in the linear quadratic form, which are unknown. The authors suggest methods which allow finding a quasi-optimal LQR solution with bounded control which is closed to the minimum time solution. They also remand the process of the minimum time decision. Keywords: Optimal regulator, minimum time controller, Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR). -- This paper is declared a work of the U.S. Government and not subject to copyright protection in the USA. The manuscript is accepted as paper AIAA-2003-6638 by 2nd AIAA Unmanned Unlimited Systems, Technologies, and Operations-Aerospace, Land, and See Conference and Workshop - Exhibit, San Diego, California, USA, 15-18 Sep. 2003.

math.GM↗

arXiv2007

Simplest AB-Thermonuclear Space Propulsion and Electric Generator

The author applies, develops and researches mini-sized Micro- AB Thermonuclear Reactors for space propulsion and space power systems. These small engines directly convert the high speed charged particles produced in the thermonuclear reactor into vehicle thrust or vehicle electricity with maximum efficiency. The simplest AB-thermonuclear propulsion offered allows spaceships to reach speeds of 20,000 50,000 km/s (1/6 of light speed) for fuel ratio 0.1 and produces a huge amount of useful electric energy. Offered propulsion system permits flight to any planet of our Solar system in short time and to the nearest non-Sun stars by E-being or intellectual robots during a single human life period. Key words: AB-propulsion, thermonuclear propulsion, space propulsion, thermonuclear power system.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Utilization of Wind Energy at High Altitude

Ground based, wind energy extraction systems have reached their maximum capability. The limitations of current designs are: wind instability, high cost of installations, and small power output of a single unit. The wind energy industry needs of revolutionary ideas to increase the capabilities of wind installations. This article suggests a revolutionary innovation which produces a dramatic increase in power per unit and is independent of prevailing weather and at a lower cost per unit of energy extracted. The main innovation consists of large free-flying air rotors positioned at high altitude for power and air stream stability, and an energy cable transmission system between the air rotor and a ground based electric generator. The air rotor system flies at high altitude up to 14 km. A stability and control is provided and systems enable the changing of altitude. This article includes six examples having a high unit power output (up to 100 MW). The proposed examples provide the following main advantages: 1. Large power production capacity per unit - up to 5,000-10,000 times more than conventional ground-based rotor designs; 2. The rotor operates at high altitude of 1-14 km, where the wind flow is strong and steady; 3. Installation cost per unit energy is low. 4. The installation is environmentally friendly (no propeller noise). -- * Presented in International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference at Providence., RI, Aug. 16-19. 2004. AIAA-2004-5705. USA. Keyword: wind energy, cable energy transmission, utilization of wind energy at high altitude, air rotor, windmills, Bolonkin.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Air Observe System

This manuscript contains a description and basic principles for observing inaccessible areas using low cost, easily deployed equipment. The basic premise is to suspend a tiny video camera at an altitude of 10 - 200 meters over the area to be surveyed. The TV camera supports at altitude by wind or balloon. The technical challenges regard the means by which the camera is suspended. Such a system may be used by military or police forces or by civil authorities for rescue missions or assessment of natural disasters. The method may be further developed for military applications by integrating the surveillance task with deployment of munitions. Key words: air observer, air suspended system, low altitude video observer.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Control of Regional and Global Weather

Author suggests and researches a new revolutionary idea for regional and global weather control. He offers to cover cities, bad regions of country, full country or a continent by a thin closed film with control clarity located at a top limit of the Earth troposphere (4 - 6 km). The film is supported at altitude by small additional atmospheric pressure and connected to ground by thin cables. It is known, the troposphere defines the Earth weather. Authors show this closed dome allows to do a full control of the weather in a given region (the day is always fine, the rain is only in night, no strong wind). The average Earth (white cloudy) reflectance equal 0.3 - 0.5. That means the Earth losses about 0.3 - 0.5 of a solar energy. The dome controls the clarity of film and converts the cold regions to subtropics and creates the hot deserts, desolate wildernesses to the prosperous regions with temperate climate. That is a realistic and the cheapest method of the weather control in the Earth at the current time. Key words: Global weather control, gigantic film dome, converting a cold region to subtropics, converting desolate wilderness to a prosperous region.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Inflatable Evergreen Polar Zone Dome (EPZD) Settlements

Sustaining human life at the Earth antipodal Polar Regions is very difficult especially during Winter when water-freezing air temperature, blizzards and whiteouts make normal human existence dangerous. To counter these environmental stresses, we offer the innovative artificial Evergreen Polar Zone Dome (EPZD), an inflated half-hemisphere with interiors continuously providing a Mediterranean Sea-like climate. The Evergreen EPZD structural theory is developed, substantiated by key computations that show it is possible for current building technology to construct and heat large enclosed volumes inexpensively. Specifically, a satisfactory result is reached by using sunlight reflectors and a special double thin film, which concentrates all available solar energy inside the EPZD while, at the same time markedly decreasing the heat loss to exterior Polar Region air. Someday a similar, but remarkably more technological, EPZD design may be employed at proposed Moon and Mars settlements. Key words: artificial hemisphere, inflatable film building, Polar Region homes, solar energy concentrator.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

The Java-Sumatra Aerial Mega-Tramway

A mega-tramway based on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java is proposed to span Sunda Strait. The Java-Sumatra Aerial Mega-Tramway (JSAMT) will be self-elevating and will regularly and cheaply launch passengers and cargoes via two conveyor belt-like facilities using standard winged shipping containers like those currently used by international trucking and ocean shipping industries that are volplaned across the Sunda Strait. The JSAMT will be a self-sustaining toll facility free of any requirement for international loans or funding guarantees for its construction. Its existence will remove any immediate need for an expensive to dig/maintain Nusantara Tunnel. We offer the formative basic technical specifications for the JSAMT and indicate some of the physical and cultural geographical facts underpinning our macro-engineering proposal; offshoots of a perfected and tested JSAMT may be installed at Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, the Gibraltar Strait and the Bering Strait by mid-21st Century.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Ocean Terracing

Artworks can improve humanity ability to apply macro-engineering principles which skirt or correct oceanographic problems impairing the economic usefulness of coastal land, the overhead airshed, and seawater temperature and salinity stability. A new form of Art, Ocean Art, is here proposed which centers on deliberate terracing of appropriate regions of our world ocean; a proposed example of macro-engineered useful Ocean Art is the technically possible 21-st Century terracing of the Mediterranean Sea. Ocean Art is applicable worldwide to places that might be practically improved by its judicious employment. Such Ocean Art may constitute an entirely unique category of solutions to coastal disaster prevention planning.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Electrostatic AB-Ramjet Space Propulsion

A new electrostatic ramjet space engine is proposed and analyzed. The upper atmosphere (85 -1000 km) is extremely dense in ions (millions per cubic cm). The interplanetary medium contains positive protons from the solar wind. A charged ball collects the ions (protons) from the surrounding area and a special electric engine accelerates the ions to achieve thrust or decelerates the ions to achieve drag. The thrust may have a magnitude of several Newtons. If the ions are decelerated, the engine produces a drag and generates electrical energy. The theory of the new engine is developed. It is shown that the proposed engine driven by a solar battery (or other energy source) can not only support satellites in their orbit for a very long time but can also work as a launcher of space apparatus. The latter capability includes launch to high orbit, to the Moon, to far space, or to the Earth atmosphere (as a return thruster for space apparatus or as a killer of space debris). The proposed ramjet is very useful in interplanetary trips to far planets because it can simultaneously produce thrust or drag and large electric energy using the solar wind. Two scenarios, launch into the upper Earth atmosphere and an interplanetary trip, are simulated and the results illustrate the excellent possibilities of the new concept.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Optimal Solid Space Tower

Theory and computations are provided for building of optimal (minimum weight) solid space towers (mast) up to one hundred kilometers in height. These towers can be used for tourism; scientific observation of space, observation of the Earth surface, weather and upper atmosphere experiment, and for radio, television, and communication transmissions. These towers can also be used to launch spaceships and Earth satellites. These macroprojects are not expensive. They require strong hard material (steel). Towers can be built using present technology. Towers can be used (for tourism, communication, etc.) during the construction process and provide self-financing for further construction. The tower design does not require human work at high altitudes; the tower is separated into sections; all construction can be done at the Earth surface. The transport system for a tower consists of a small engine (used only for friction compensation) located at the Earth surface. Problems involving security, control, repair, and stability of the proposed towers are addressed in other cited publications.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

A New Method of Atmospheric Reentry for Space Ships

In recent years, industry has produced high-temperature fiber and whiskers. The author examined the atmospheric reentry of the USA Space Shuttles and proposed the use of high temperature tolerant parachute for atmospheric air braking. Though it is not large, a light parachute decreases Shuttle speed from 8 km/s to 1 km/s and Shuttle heat flow by 3 - 4 times. The parachute surface is opened with backside so that it can emit the heat radiation efficiently to Earth-atmosphere. The temperature of parachute is about 1000 - 1300 C. The carbon fiber is able to keep its functionality up to a temperature of 1500 - 2000 C. There is no conceivable problem to manufacture the parachute from carbon fiber. The proposed new method of braking may be applied to the old Space Shuttles as well as to newer spacecraft designs.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Micro -Thermonuclear AB-Reactors for Aerospace

The author offers several innovations that he first suggested publicly early in 1983 for the AB multi-reflex engine, space propulsion, getting energy from plasma, etc. (see: A. Bolonkin, Non-Rocket Space Launch and Flight, Elsevier, London, 2006, Chapters 12, 3A). It is the micro-thermonuclear AB-Reactors. That is new micro-thermonuclear reactor with very small fuel pellet that uses plasma confinement generated by multi-reflection of laser beam or its own magnetic field. The Lawson criterion increases by hundreds of times. The author also suggests a new method of heating the power-making fuel pellet by outer electric current as well as new direct method of transformation of ion kinetic energy into harvestable electricity. These offered innovations dramatically decrease the size, weight and cost of thermonuclear reactor, installation, propulsion system and electric generator. Non-industrial countries can produce these researches and constructions. Currently, the author is researching the efficiency of these innovations for two types of the micro-thermonuclear reactors: multi-reflection reactor (ICF) and self-magnetic reactor (MCF).

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2007

Theory of Space Magnetic Sail Some Common Mistakes and Electrostatic MagSail

The first reports on the "Space Magnetic Sail" concept appeared more 30 years ago. During the period since some hundreds of research and scientific works have been published, including hundreds of research report by professors at major famous universities. The author herein shows that all these works related to Space Magnetic Sail concept are technically incorrect because their authors did not take into consideration that solar wind impinging a MagSail magnetic field creates a particle magnetic field opposed to the MagSail field. In the incorrect works, the particle magnetic field is hundreds times stronger than a MagSail magnetic field That means all the laborious and costly computations in revealed in such technology discussions are useless: the impractical findings on sail thrust (drag), time of flight within the Solar System and speed of interstellar trips are essentially worthless working data! The author reveals the correct equations for any estimated performance of a Magnetic Sail as well as a new type of Magnetic Sail (without a matter ring).

physics.gen-ph↗