Hi Chet,
I thought you would like that
Ok...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque“The magnitude of torque depends on three quantities: the force applied, the length of the lever arm connecting the axis to the point of force application, and the angle between the force vector and the lever arm. “
“The length of the lever arm is particularly important; choosing this length appropriately lies behind the operation of levers, pulleys, gears, and most other simple machines involving a mechanical advantage.â€
“A force applied at a right angle to a lever multiplied by its distance from the lever's fulcrum (the length of the lever arm) is its torque. A force of three newtons applied two metres from the fulcrum, for example, exerts the same torque as a force of one newton applied six metres from the fulcrum.â€
There are three selective quotes from that Wikipedia page I linked to above. So we can see that the length of the lever arm is particularly important. This is why Tesla went so big with his discs, he was trying to maximise the turning moment (and also the time component), or torque.
We know the problems we have with large discs tearing themselves apart due to the speed differential which the discs radii are turning at, and because centrifugal force applies a tensile force that also wants to tear the material apart. So it is being pulled apart in different planes and so must be very strong to withstand this.
This was the reason I went to this design, the support frame is just that, a support frame. Each part of it can be designed to absorb the forces it will be undergoing. It can also be made super light out of modern materials.
I was also able to get rid of the turbine housing using this design, because they give me a headache, as housings always do. Boundary layer turbine housings are annoying anyway because you lose pressure due to the inability to seal a static to a rotating without applying a drag force through friction.
So, basically this design allows a fantastic potential power to weight ratio, because we can go so light on the support structure and increase the power by extending the lever. It is going to be limited by how large a diameter you can go and still support the impulse force without critical failure.
I added the Impulse ring on the outside because air is a thin medium and does not push back that hard. So if we have “buckets†to catch the exhaust gases we can use them to propel the Impulse Ring and also provide more of a “repulsion†of the Rocket Ring.
I do not think we would lose much fluid if it was designed right because you would want a relatively large hole to catch the initial pulse, and the baffles get smaller to extract more force from the fluid as it heads round the ring to the exhaust.
Because it is pulse detonated you will have one pressure wave travelling at a faster speed right behind the wave in front that is slowing due to energy being extracted, so it will be hard for the exhaust gas to reverse flow as there is a larger energetic force behind it.
Turbine to PMA losses will be small anyway being on the same shaft.
You can put multiple rings on the same shaft one above the other and create a real monster Rocket Turbine if you wanted because they only act in the horizontal plane.
You can easily cool the outer ring because of its spin which could be tapped to create a vacuum and draw water up an outer casing hollow wall, which would become steam and give you another energy output to use for something else.
So I think the efficiency will be quite high, but I honestly don't know until it is built and tested.
You would want as many Rockets on the ring as possible and you would want the angle of each Rocket to be as close to 90 degrees to the centre pivot as possible, but they must aim into the Impulse Ring.
Do not even think about welding a structure together, the welds will crack, and the thing will pull itself apart. Stainless Hydraulic Fittings at suitable angles and Schedule pipe screwed in would work well I think as a support ring (it does not have to be round), and 1/8†size to keep weight down.
http://www.cotswoldengineeringsupplies.co.uk/Hydraulic%20Adaptors/adaptorsproducts.php?item=BS45FF&inthere=&line=Hydraulic%20Adaptorshttp://www.cotswoldengineeringsupplies.co.uk/Hydraulic%20Adaptors/adaptorsproducts.php?item=BP45MM&inthere=&line=Hydraulic%20Adaptorshttp://www.cotswoldengineeringsupplies.co.uk/Hydraulic%20Adaptors/adaptorsproducts.php?item=BFFCROSS&inthere=&line=Hydraulic%20Adaptors45 deg or 135 deg fittings and fixed female crosses would allow you to mount support rings to your rockets and to each other, then you just have to get the length of the pipe right and thread it.
You could use liquid fuel for this design but I was never interested in that for obvious reasons but you can try it if you want too. Once the thing is spinning you can use centrifugal force to get the fluid up to the rocket valves, no pump needed.
Or, my preference is to mount the fuel generator such as we have been discussing recently on the turbine and then it can run itself from the gas. You could also refill liquid fuel in the centre from a static float tank and use the vacuum created by the turbine to suck the fuel into the reservoir, if you design it right. So theoretically it could keep going until the bearings seize.
So, any questions ?
RM
Haha I just saw your edit... you remember my flippant hint of a Plasma Turbine a little while back... ?
