Randall Clague wrote:
On 29 Oct 2002 13:55:07 -0800, "Sean R. Lynch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
I don't know that it really matters, as long as it can stay hot until you're up to full flow. Once the peroxide is flowing, decomposition will keep the catalyst hot, as your glowing engines have demonstrated in several videos. I'd expect that you only need to heat the catalyst for a few seconds on each engine start. Using a nichrome wire catalyst, a properly sized battery could bring it up to orange (that's, what, 1200 F?) in about ten seconds, and hold enough energy to do that half a dozen times (though the last start might be noticeably slower than the first).Unless I'm mistaken, Gizmocopter's battery packs would heat 1kg of tungsten by >3600K.For how long?
A battery like those used in cordless tools (weighing, what, about a pound?) could heat an element about the size of that in a hair dryer, assuming the wire were sized to match the available voltage. That would probably be enough to get the reaction started and self sustaining with a slower catalyst.
Say, has anyone tested copper or bronze as a high temperature catalyst? Melting point significantly higher than silver, 1083 C for pure copper; bronzes can be had with either higher or lower melting points. The high corrosion resistance of these metals suggests a tenacious oxide coating, and copper's reactivity is similar to that of silver in many ways -- but it costs about 1/10 as much.
--
What you own is your own kingdom, what you do is your own glory.
What you love is your own power, and what you live is your own story.
-- Neil Peart, 1976
Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer NAR # 70141-SR Insured
Rocket Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/launches.htm
Telescope Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/astronomy.htm
Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.
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