Mach Effect Propulsion better to go smaller with an array of devices

At 23 minutes of this video. SSI SA Dr. Heidi Fearn explains how just scaling power and size causes problems. (heat, arcing and other problems).

For Mach effect propellentless propulsion it will be better to go to an array of smaller devices.

They expect 1-5 years to get to 1-5 millinewtons of thrust. (Using better materials and other near term design improvement.
Tajmar has replicated the 2 micronewton level and will scale to 12 micronewtons with a larger set of discs.
In 5-10 years, have array of several devices to get to 10-20 millinewtons.
10-20 years, increase thrust to 1 newton for each device.
Test arrays of 100 – 1 newton devices
MEGA space propulsion would be 1000+ 1 newtons devices.

MEGA would be powered by a 5 MW nuclear power source.

15 thoughts on “Mach Effect Propulsion better to go smaller with an array of devices”

  1. I’ve invented a warp drive. It works by farting north east while holding a non-conductive palladium cesium alloy in your left hand and keeping your right eye closed. I’ve no idea how it works but I’m sure it’s because of string theory. So far I’ve only been able to warp for 27.2 pico meters. If I had more funding I could perfect the system and revolutionist space travel. Please fund me!

  2. So a couple of things here…

    The force scales with the cube of the oscillation frequency? What’s the fastest constrollable oscillator available?
    And this thing becomes more efficient the faster you go? What’s the scaling relationship between efficiency and speed?

    “Tachyon Speed!”

  3. IF it really works, and I am far from convinced by the present level of evidence, then the obvious approach is something like the “brane” ships currently being designed to use ion engines.

    MEMS drives directly coupled to solar cells, with the weight as low as possible.

  4. Carbon nanotubes are very fast mechanical oscillators – they should look into using something like that.

    Also didn’t somebody at the University of California, Riverside create a tiny spring using the repulsive Casimir effect, by using a nested corrugated geometry? I’d imagine that thing must oscillate really fast.

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