Great Country Academician

For electromagnetic propulsion, there are many key factors restricting its thrust increase.

But the most important are two.

One is a high-power and high-density power supply, and the other is a strong magnetic acceleration field.

Electromagnetic propulsion, as you can tell from the name, no matter what kind it is, it is inseparable from the power supply.

Even if solar panels do not consider the power attenuation problem caused by being far away from the sun, the volume of the International Space Station can only provide about 120kw of power supply.

The 120Kw electric energy, for the current electric propulsion system, can only provide a thrust of about 5N.

The greater the thrust, the higher the demand for electric energy, which is the doomed exponential relationship of the electromagnetic propulsion system.

The strong magnetic acceleration field determines the speed of ionized ions, the faster the ions are ejected, the greater the thrust that can be formed.

As for the working medium, it is actually not a technical problem, it is just a consideration of whether it is worthwhile.

After all, no matter how expensive xenon is, today's industry has the means to mass produce it.

Of course, for Xu Chuan, aside from technical difficulties, practicality is also something he needs to do.

As for Academician Yang Hong's curiosity, he smiled and replied: "If it is a problem in other aspects, maybe I can't think of any solution."

"But the magnetic field and working fluid, I might really have a chance to solve it."

After a slight pause, he looked at Yang Hong and continued, "Academician Yang should know about high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite materials, right?"

Hearing this, Yang Hong nodded and said, "I know this, but if you want to apply high-temperature copper-carbon-silver composite materials to the electromagnetic propulsion system, it may be quite difficult."

"Whether it is the volume or the additional condensing system, it will greatly increase the weight of the electromagnetic propulsion system, which undoubtedly increases the burden on aerospace."

Xu Chuan said with a smile: "Theoretically, that's true, but my recent research direction is room-temperature superconducting materials and how to increase the critical magnetic field of superconducting materials. At present, I have a little direction."

"Although the result is not yet known, if it can be successful, it should be no problem to use it in the electromagnetic propulsion system."

Hearing this, Yang Hong froze for a moment, opened his mouth to speak but stopped.

He wanted to ask about the material and direction, but at his height, he was naturally aware of the confidentiality of related research.

After thinking for a while, he looked at Xu Chuan and asked, "What about the working fluid?"

"Even if you can solve the magnetic field, the working medium is also the key. The price of xenon is more expensive than gold. If you need too much working medium to complete a space mission, it is better to use traditional chemical fuel for propulsion."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled lightly and said, "Then don't use xenon."

"You don't need xenon, so what do you use? Argon?" Yang Hong was stunned for a moment, and asked curiously: "Although argon is indeed cheaper than xenon, it is still in the research direction, and the argon needed to support the completion of a space mission It won't be any less, and it won't necessarily be cheaper than fossil fuels."

Xu Chuan shook his head with a smile, and said, "No, just use nitrogen. The price of nitrogen is quite low, and the separation is easy. It is enough to support space missions."

"The current electric propulsion uses xenon because the ionization of xenon is the easiest, and the ionization of other working fluids is difficult."

"As for the problem of ionized nitrogen, it is naturally quite difficult if traditional means are used. But it is not a problem at all when it is put into a small-scale controllable nuclear fusion reactor."

"Nitrogen's ionization temperature of more than 1,000 degrees is not a problem at all for controllable nuclear fusion technology"

"Wait, maybe there are cheaper ones."

As he spoke, Xu Chuan suddenly froze, and fell into deep thought while talking to himself.

On the opposite side, Yang Hong, who heard half of it, felt a little itchy in his heart, but he didn't interrupt Xu Chuan's thinking.

He knew that if the other party's thinking was fruitful today, it might bring great changes to the development of the aerospace industry.

From the concise words just now, he understood the general meaning of the young man in front of him.

Using controllable nuclear fusion technology to provide majestic electric energy for the electromagnetic propulsion system, and through high-temperature ionization of cheap nitrogen and other working fluids, together with the strong critical magnetic field superconducting material he is researching, to provide thrust for the electromagnetic propulsion system.

This should be the complete idea of ​​the new generation electromagnetic propulsion system in front of him.

It has to be said that theoretically speaking, this set of technologies is completely achievable as long as the relevant cores are fine.

Maybe it’s because he has studied in one field for too long, and the difficulties that he has heard that he can lose have been deeply ingrained in his heart. When faced with the technological structure of this cutting-edge field, his thinking is a bit stiff, and he has no previous bold examples. idea.

This is probably something that almost every scientific researcher will be born after a long research work.

It is also the reason why most of the breakthrough work in academia is almost done when young and middle-aged.

Xu Chuan, who was caught in the idea, was not in the environment of the unexpected world at all.

In my mind, a concept map of the electromagnetic propulsion system is being perfected little by little.

Suddenly, he suddenly raised his head, looked at Academician Yang Hong who was sitting opposite him with bright eyes, and asked in an excited tone: "Academician Yang, do you have a blackboard here?"

"Blackboard?" Yang Hong was stunned for a moment, and said, "There is, but it's not in my office. If necessary, can I get it?"

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Then please ask Academician Yang to help me get a blackboard and chalk. I have a new idea."

"OK."

Yang Hong nodded, got up and walked out of the office. After a while, he dragged a mobile blackboard over.

Xu Chuan quickly stepped forward, picked up the chalk and began to draw on the blackboard.

The concept map in his mind was gradually presented on the blackboard in his hands.

On the side, Yang Hong looked curiously at the weird images gradually appearing on the blackboard, feeling a little puzzled.

However, as Xu Chuan began to label and explain each module, he gradually froze, with shock and surprise in his pupils.

After a while, Xu Chuan, who made the last stroke, threw the chalk in his hand into the chalk box, turned around and looked at Yang Hong with a smile, and said, "This is an idea I just came up with temporarily, Academician Yang, take a look. But I I haven't learned how to draw engineering drawings, so please forgive me if the drawn things are a bit ugly."

Looking at the structural diagram presented on the blackboard, Yang Hong couldn't help swallowing, and said, "How did you come up with the idea of ​​using compressed air as a working medium?!"

Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Cheap!"

"At the beginning, I thought about using relatively cheap and easy-to-manufacture working fluids such as nitrogen to replace xenon or argon as the working fluid of the engine."

"But no matter how cheap they are, they have a cost."

"In this case, why not obtain it directly from the atmosphere?"

"The main components of the earth's atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen, which account for more than 99% of the total composition. It can be said that as long as they are in the atmosphere, these two are inexhaustible. "

"Although nitrogen and oxygen are more difficult to ionize than gases such as xenon and argon, and have higher requirements for ionization, if a controllable nuclear fusion reactor is used as energy supply, it can be said that there is no way to ionize air. pressure."

"In this case, why not directly add a suction compression device to directly absorb nitrogen and oxygen and other working fluids from the atmosphere to directly supply the electromagnetic propulsion system."

"In this way, this propulsion device directly solves the problem of working fluid and battery life in the atmosphere. As long as the energy provided by the controllable nuclear fusion reactor is sufficient, theoretically, it can always soar above the blue sky."

"As for going deep into outer space, this requires the use of the working fluid carried by the spacecraft itself."

"However, compared with launching directly from the ground, switching forms at high altitude and then climbing to outer space, undoubtedly requires much less working fluid."

"What does Academician Yang think of this idea? Can it be done?"

On the opposite side, Yang Hong took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and said slowly: "This is the most amazing electromagnetic engine design structure I have ever seen."

"Shocked!"

"But I have to say, if you can solve the problem of miniaturization of controllable nuclear fusion and the acceleration field of strong magnetic current, it is really possible to do it."

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "I'm going to name this electromagnetic propulsion system 'Aerospace Engine'!"

"Aerospace Engine, Aerospace Engine"

Yang Hong muttered twice, and said with bright eyes: "Engine that is suitable for both aviation and spaceflight!"

"If you actually design and manufacture this engine, it will be the biggest turning point in the field of aviation and aerospace!"

"Even, it will become one of the mainstream engines in the future era of interstellar voyage."

"After all, in theory, it is not only applicable to the earth, it can adapt to almost any planet with an atmosphere."

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "It's too far away to think about alien planets."

"But in theory, it does adapt to the aerospace field, and it can also adapt to the aviation field. That's why I call it an aerospace engine."

After a pause, he opened his mouth to throw an olive branch: "How about it, Academician Yang, are you interested? Come to Xinghai Research Institute to develop this new engine with me."

Yang Hong's face obviously moved, and he opened his mouth, but he still didn't say what he promised.

He shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "I am very grateful to Academician Xu for his attention, but I can't agree to this. After all, I still hold the position of chief designer of Tiangong Space Station."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled embarrassedly, he almost forgot about it.

This poacher went directly to the head of another chief designer, hey!

Yang Hong smiled and said, "But I can recommend someone to you."

"who?"

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