|
Size: 3187
Comment:
|
Size: 3187
Comment:
|
| Deletions are marked like this. | Additions are marked like this. |
| Line 20: | Line 20: |
| || 98% || || incremental launch energy efficiency || | || > 95% || || incremental launch energy efficiency || |
Launch Loop Stats
2017 March 11
5700 km |
|
length of rotor |
100 km |
|
launch path altitude |
0.472 km/s |
|
Earth rotation speed at altitude |
0.9647 km²/s² |
0.9647 MJ/kg |
Surface to altitude energy difference |
14 km/s |
rotor speed at altitude, not including rotation |
|
3 kg/m |
|
rotor density at altitude |
14.074 km/s |
|
rotor speed at surface |
0.00527 |
0.527% |
rotor expansion at surface |
2.985 kg/m |
|
rotor density at surface |
17e6 kg |
|
rotor mass |
$6/kg |
|
estimated cost of electrical steel |
$100M |
|
cost of rotor electrical steel |
1.7e15 J |
460 GWh |
rotor kinetic energy |
≈ 5.6 days |
|
energy use in Portland, Oregon |
300 MW |
|
"maintenance" power and losses |
2600 GWh |
|
annual maintenance energy |
> 95% |
|
incremental launch energy efficiency |
1.59 km/s apogee |
10.33 km/s perigee |
GTO transfer orbit ( GEO at 42164 km ) |
9.86 km/s |
|
launch velocity to GTO minus rotation v. |
50 GJ |
|
launch energy per tonne to GTO |
$50/MWHr |
|
WAG estimate, electricity cost |
$700/tonne |
|
electricity cost per tonne to GTO |
400 tonnes/hr |
|
maximum launch rate |
3.5e6 tonnes/year |
|
maximum launch rate |
5.9 GW |
|
power needed for maximum launch rate |
|
||
Saturn V rocket |
||
3e6 kg |
launch mass |
|
50 tonnes |
est payload to GTO |
|
A launch loop rotor weighing as much as 6 Saturn V rockets can launch as much as those six rockets in 45 minutes. Of course, launch loop stationary mass is much larger, including power plants, floats and anchoring cables, turn around magnets, sheathing, etc., but that in turn is much smaller than the construction and power plant mass of Kennedy Space Center.
Apogee insertion motors and "pad" ops will cost more than the launch energy. Assuming reusable motors, if the fuel is launched