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| Electromagnetic spectrum |
Electromagnetic has some greatness that make the scientists in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) start thinking to use it as power that able to "throw" the space plane to outer earth atmosphere! Why there is such an idea ? Is the rocket engine that usually in use are sufficient to bring the space plane out of earth atmosphere isn't it ?
Actually, all of rocket engine that are in use or in development today still need special substance as its propeller. This substance propellant can in form of chemical substances like that in many uses, or the product of nuclear fusion reaction that had many development in 21th century. There is another innovative technology such as light propulsion and anti-mater propulsion. The use of this propellant actually bounding the velocity and maximum distance that can reached by the plane. Because of that, rise the idea to launch the space plane use the technology that not involve propellant at all. What system that are able to "throw" plane to outer space without using propellant at all? The answer is Electromagnetic !
Electromagnetic are the hybrid between electricity and magnetism. When we electrify a wire we can create magnetic field. Electricity and magnetism are not separated at all except in superconductor type 1 that has Meissner Efect (superconductor matter can eliminate magnetic field until a certain point). It can proved by lay down a compass nearby around that wire. The pin on compass will move because compass detect the appearance of magnetic field. Electromagnetic has been in uses in making motor, cassette, video, speaker, etc. Now it's the turn of space project !
David Goodwin from Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics in America is the man that rise the idea of electromagnetic propulsion. When an electromagnetic is cooling till lowest temperature, something unusual is happen. If we electrify that super cold magnet, we can observe vibration in some nanosecond before that magnet become superconductor. Accordance to Goodwin, although this vibration only happen in scale of nanosecond, we still able to use its unsteady state. If the vibrations that created are aim to the one same direction then we are able to get sufficient power to "throw" plane to outer space. This power is not just enough to "throw" the plane, even so the space plane can reach maximum distance more far with higher velocity than any kind of plane that using propellant.
To explain his idea, Goodwin uses wire coil (solenoid) that arranged from magnetic wire superconductor that twisting on cylinder metal core. Magnetic wire that used is metal hybrid from nyobium and lead. Electromagnet become superconductor matter after cooling down with liquid helium to 4 Kelvin. Metal plate below solenoid has function to enhanced the created vibration. In order to get vibrations with frequency 400000 Hz, it's necessary to create asymetric condition on magnetic field. Metal plate that had voltage is lay down isolated from solenoid system so that asymetric condition is created. In few microsecond before magnet start oscilate to opposite direction, the electricity on metal plate must be eliminated.
The sole challenge that still to handle is the technique to aimed vibrations that formed up in unsteady state to moving in one direction. For this, we need a device like electric switch to turn on and turn off electricity 400000 times per second (according to its vibrations frequency). This solid state switch in fact take over the energy from steady state condition and transform it to electric pulse with high velocity until 400000 times per second.
Energy that used to this electromagnet system is from nuclear reactor (300 kW), NASA's property. This reactor generate heat energy undergoes nuclear fission reaction. This nuclear fission reaction involving the fussion process of atom that accompanied with gamma radiation and heat releashing in big amount. Nuclear reactor that uses ¾ kg uranium (U-235) is able to generate heat that has the same amount with one million gallon gasoline had (3.8 million litre). Heat energy that had generated, after wards converted to electrical energy that can used to this electromagnetic propulsion system. When used in space plane ¾ kg uranium (U-235) not used too much room because it only need a room in size of baseball ball. With mass and room much smaller than rocket engine usually use, the planes that using electromagnetic system are able to reach maximum velocity thus able to reach the farest location. According to Goodwin, a plane with electromagnetic system is able to reach heliopause that is location of companionship between solar wind and interstellar solar wind. Heliopause is located at the distance 200 AU (Astronomical Unit) from the sun. 1 AU is the mean distance between earth and the sun, approximately about 1.5 X 108 km. The farest planet in our solar system only had distance of 39.53 AU from the sun. All of planes that using propellant absolutely cannot reach such far distance!
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