Questions tagged [propulsion]
299 questions
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Can methane be used as a fuel to launch space vehicles?
Methane is apparently the most easily available hydrocarbon. It is also a flammable, and highly combustible fuel; does burning methane provide sufficient power-weight to be used to launch artificial satellites and their ilk into Earth Orbit?
Everyone
- 4,703
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Propulsion system
Can a propulsion system be made by facing two air ionizers towards each other, accelerating the ions with fans, and having them repel each other? Would the force generated be greater than just accelerating normal air (not ionized)?
Something like…
Antonio1234
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Are all methods of propulsion based on the same principle?
I am struggling with coming up with a way to differentiate between propulsion on the most basic level.
Are all methods of propulsion based on throwing stuff in the opposite direction? Can the be no other method?
I started thinking about the…
user56208
- 23
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Electron/Ion beam propulsion
Similar to the concept of how a spacecraft with a light sail and a ground station laser would be used to accelerate a craft, could a similar approach be taken using ions or electrons?
If it is possible, what would the general limitations of this…
jasper
- 481
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Why Don’t We Use Radios for Propulsion?
We’ve all heard the idea of laser propulsion before, but why can’t a high powered RF source be used to propel a body? A simple high current coil with an AC signal applied to it to it could produce 100s of watts if not kilowatts of EM power. So why…
Joeseph123
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How is an airplane propeller screw pitch calculated?
I know a 30" * 12" airplane propeller means the prop has a diameter of 30inches and will travel 12inches forward per revolution, but what I don't know is - what angle of attack does the propeller require to attain that screw pitch of 12". Forget…
Martins
- 113
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Order of calculation for turbojet engine parameters?
As I see it, if you're going to calculate a twin-spool turbojet engine, you
Determine expected max aircraft speed, and engine thrust at that speed and when stationary.
Calculate peak mass of air flow
Calculate energy needed to propel this mass of…
Eugene
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Would all types of advanced non-chemical propulsion for spacecraft, cause nearby objects to be "blown away"?
Would all types of advanced non-chemical propulsion (such as ion, plasma, fusion etc) for spacecraft, cause nearby objects to be "blown away" (like when chemical rockets takeoff)?
Also would they be blown back with the same intensity?
bluet
- 141
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Reduce velocity in the Space
As per sketch there is a ball filled with liquid launch from A point to B point at 10 meter per second.the ball is spinning clockwise and moving towards B point.but the liquid in the ball is spinning anticlockwise due to a motor mechanism.
I would…
Vikram Gupta
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Would a propeller attached to, but inside a sealed box work?
I can't find anything online about this, maybe I'm just dumb, but I was wondering, if you put a propeller inside of a air tight, water tight box, and turned it on, would it propel the box? If not, why?
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Could Zapata’s Flying airboard be used on Space missions
The following Zapata’s flying air board (FAB) can fly on Earth for 10 minutes up to 3km ceiling, carrying 100kg person at a speed of 150km/hr. I was wondering if it could fly on Moon or Mars, or around ISS or does it need air like jet plain? I am…
estinamir
- 99
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What is installed and uninstalled thrust?
I am reading Elements of propulsion.He starts introduction of thrust equations that involve installed and uninstalled thrust.Can somebody please define what uninstalled thrust and installed thrust is?
Kenneth
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Hypothetical thrust of EM Drive
I have been reading up about the EM drive which supposedly allows for reactionless propulsion. Regardless of whether or not it is real, I was trying to do a back of the envelope calculation to see how fast it could go to gauge if it would even be…
CraigC
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