[image source: DailyGalaxy.com]
After many months of hard work behind the curtains, NASA finally finished the tests for the famous engine which seems to contradicts the law of physics, called EM Drive, and, almost shockingly, it appears the engine does in fact works. The propeller was invented in 1999 by a man called Roger Shawyer, and, according NASA's peer-reviwed paper, it functions in the following way:
Electricity converted into microwaves and fired within a truncated cone-shaped closed metal cavity causes the microwave particles to exert more force on the flat surface at the large end of the cone (there is less combined particle momentum at the narrow end due to a reduction in group particle velocity), generating thrust.
You don't need to understand everything, apart from the fact that the engine works without any exhaust. That's right, it doesn't get anything out of the cavity, which is why many opponents of the invention are claiming it's just bogus. But NASA's paper, released a few days ago, which can be read here, says the opposite. Caution: that's a real scientific paper and much of it may be a little bit tough to digest.
The paper states that, after many experiments, the engine showed a thrust of 1.2 millinewtons per kilowatt in a vacuum. Compared with light sails - which are basically very thin solar panels capturing sun energy - the power generated by the EM Drive engine is an order of magnitude higher, because light sails only generate force up to 6.67 micronewtons per kilowatt. This is just an experiment, the goal being to establish the engine really works, but if it does, it means that the process can be further enhanced and the thrust can be even bigger.
There are still many things to be worked out, and even if the paper was peer-reviewed, it doesn't necessarily mean the engine really works, it simply means the methodology used to generate those results is correct. More tests are needed to prove the validity of EM Drive engine without a doubt and the agency intends to start some during the coming months.
But if this proves to be true, it might be the biggest technological advancement of the 21st century.
Imagine the following piece of dialogue, which can be just your regular Thursday morning, 20 years from now:
-- So, honey, what are you up today?
-- Well, I'm going to the Moon, to meet with some friends who are exploring a new area for an amusement park, and then I'm having a Skype call with Ben, who's on Mars.
-- That bastard, still don't want to come home?
-- Nope, it looks like he found some wolfram underneath those hills he bought 5 years ago and he'll start a new business.
-- Lucky bastard. And Luke is coming home?
-- Uhm, the ship from Pluto still has 2 more months until it enters the atmosphere, but I'm sure he'll be here just in time for Christmas....
If you don't believe that dialogue might be true, just try to put in perspective the following conversation, which is 100% real now, but which, 20 years ago, it would have seem just a transcript of a conversation from a mental health instiution:
-- Honey, what are you doing today?
-- I'm going to publish some more articles on that blockchain thing, which, you know, exists somewhere on the network of computers called internet, but nowhere in particular, and then I'm going to get paid in a currency that has no paper correspondent. Like, you, know, virtual money. With which I'm going to buy a pocket size computer called Raspberry that will stream movies and music in the living room...
-- And you'll be back in time for dinner?
-- Yeap, but I will be late a bit, because I have to replace a miner in the data center. Oh, and I have to find that Pokemon in the park. You know I love to stay fit...
I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.
https://steemit.com/~witnesses
Great to see some progress on the EM drive, but I gotta point out this is not NASA's project and they've actively spread misinformation about the whole concept for years now.
Technically, this was created through a UK govt grant, then "rented" by boeing who now seems to have taken the concept and ditched the inventor.
Funny how all of these "crazies" are being proven right one after another.
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Yes, I'm aware about the inventor's story. I didn't said it was NASA's engine also. I think in the end the inventor will get credit. For years, the inventor of the reaction engine, Henri Coanda, a Romanian, didn't get credit for his invention, but eventually history made justice.
What's important is that the EM Drive engine will enable planet travel, if it's proven to be viable, of course. That's huge, IMHO.
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I'm just happy to see some new advances, I kinda hope musk/spaceX does their own version :)
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I learned about the EM drive earlier this year, and I think that if you replace the magnetron with a tesla coil it will work so well (once properly tuned) that it can produce sufficient thrust to overcome gravity. You may recall my series of posts about physics and gravity from earlier this year? I have an actual model of how it all works, not just this device but how gravity works and this is why this type of device works (chaotic electrons in tiny tiny chaotic orbits, like super high frequency, are present within all examples of thermal expansion as a precursor to the release of heat - my theory is that the expansion is not caused by the heat but by the electrons).
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I too am upset that the title of this article appears to credit NASA with invention of the EM drive, instead of just one of several testers.
NASA is a group of lying liars who lie. I hope this is one time the told the truth. Having a continuous thrust on a space craft, even if it is a tiny amount of thrust, is a serious game changer.
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Great concept. To the moon in 4 hours. I'm just wondering if the thrust is instant or if it requires time to build up. Getting there fast is great, but more speed means more thrust required to slow down to achieve an orbit.
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At the moment it's all just theoretical. I suspect there will be 3 stages: first lift-off the cargo to Earth's orbit, then transfer it to em-drive spaceship, then stop on the destination planet orbit and transfer cargo for descent to another type of ship. EM Drive should be used only in vacuum.
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Yeah, I realize we're not able to just strap on to one of these then shoot ourselves to the moon. I'm guessing though, that stage from earth orbit to moon orbit using the EM would require the thing to be "on" almost the entire time. Building thrust half way, maybe one hour of those 4 hours disengaged then burning retrograde the final hour to again build up thrust to slow down. Unless it fires up fast like a traditional rocket... but I can't see it working like that. If they can figure out how to get a big burst though, that would be interesting, game changer for sure.
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Is there a problem with radiation leakage? I thought the microwaves were generated inside the metal cone and thus the only thing that should escape is heat.
@nonameslefttouse If the theory of operation is correct, you have thrust after 1/2 wave length of microwaves. Or, practically instantaneous. It is just a very tiny amount of thrust, but continuous, always on as long as you have power and cooling.
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Air friction will most likely cancel thrust, that's why it may be usable only in vacuum.
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I think that the next step is probably to see the results independently reproduced. But this article shows good hopes.
PS: there is no breakdown of the laws of physics here.
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Yeap, now I'm really looking forward to the tests in the space. As for breaking or not the laws of physics, I guess quantum physics does break the laws of Newtonian physics in a way, so there's nothing new here. We're just evolving... :)
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Newtonian physics can be seen as a limit of quantum mechanics in a particular regime. It is when one tries to apply Newtonian mechanics in a regime where one can't that issues seem to appear.
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You know, Vandelay Industries was working on such a device for years !
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If this proves to be fake, George Constanza will be really sad. But if it proves to be true...
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Unfortunately, Vandelay Industries has fallen upon hard times and the R&D budget has been slashed dramatically.
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well, the concept in terms of physics is amazing. The issue I see is that you need a kilowatt to get millinewtons...so I suspect you need to cool the engine to get rid of the horrible loss. In term of efficiency, seems...well... subprime.
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In space is relatively cold, I heard, so that won't be a problem. Also, less friction should help.
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True, but the concept of "temperature" among vacuum is pretty weird. I wonder if the heat can go away with no artificial cooling. To cool while in the vacuum is not as easy as it seems, since vacuum is a very good insulator.
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The heat is directly induced into the magnetron coil, if this is the EM drive I know of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RF_resonant_cavity_thruster
I have a theory that impulse is caused by nano-chaotic electron motion. This device demonstrates this could be correct. Assuming it is the same device. Recently also they discovered that electrostatic repulsion devices, based on capacitance, that previously had been developed to create impulse by repelling argon atoms or similar, could produce a usable amount of impulse without any gas at all. If it is an EM drive it also includes a resonant cavity, and I believe that the secret to making this device work is tuning the resonance to cause maximum nonlinearity and amplify frequency components beyond the frequency of cosmic rays. Which is why I think a tesla coil should be the emitter, not a magnetron.
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Is this a resonant cavity thruster or an ion drive without propellant gas?
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If it can be improved to the point that it's powerful enough to overcome earth's gravity...and cheap to operate.
It will change Everything.
I mean EVERYTHING.
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