Re: [ERPS] Has anyone on this list ever built a small (working) turbopump?

[Ian Woollard]

Aleta Jackson wrote: Ian Woollard wrote: There's also the reciprocating piston pump that XCOR are working on based on the Astrid pump concept. Nope. You've stopped working on it? Or presumably you are objecting to the 'based on' bit. It does depend on exactly what you consider the concept to have been, but from 1000 feet where us mortals live, they seem vaguely similar, but the operational details of the valving seem different. That wouldn't necessarily mean you haven't violated the patent (5,616,005) though. However, the patent for the Astrid pump has apparently expired anyway see: http://www.uspto.gov/go/og/2001/week23/patexpi.htm so you're probably safe. Aleta -- -Ian Motto: "You're Not Authorized to Know Our Motto." "Everything takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law" - Hostadter's Law "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you will have to catch up." "Predestination was doomed from the start." "Everything I say is a lie"