twojohnsons@home.com wrote:
> Jeff,
> Ask Laifman. He's a rocket scientist.
> Al J.
>
> Jeff Howarth wrote:
>
> > I have been looking at the pictures and have to confess my ignorance as
> > to how the thing works.
> >
> > Not being a rocket scientist.........
Thanks Al, just what I needed. {9->
First, lets get this straight, this is NOT a "rocket engine" in the normal
definition, however it might be considered a "jet engine" of sorts. But,
I'll try to figure out what all this is about, anyway, with absolutely no
knowledge than examining the pictures. I received no text descriptions. I do
not claim to be an expert in this device, but perhaps I can describe what I
think I see.
Well, our first thanks ought to go to Allan Connell for providing the link.
Unfortunately, it had been disconnected by the time I looked. But, Allan was
king enough to send me the pictures after the link expired (once I got "a
round tuit".)
Observations:
1) The under hood picture (i-5[1].jpg) appears to consist of a small single
cylinder gasoline engine with an alternator and two other belt driven
devices looking like a pump and another pump (?) at the left bottom, with
dual fan radiator. Copper plumbing, as well as hoses appear to run through
the firewall.
2) The interior shot (i-4[1].jpg) shows those copper pipes and hoses running
through the passenger compartment on the way to the rear. Some additional
plumbing and complex controls bank are also visible. The red handled
controls appear to be hydraulic.
3) The top view of the forward rear compartment (i-3[1].jpg) indicate what
appears to be a modified propane tank (red), and another (white).
4) Now the remaining shots ( 1[1], 2[1], and the rear of 3[1] show a triple
set of identical devices. The large cast iron appearing scroll case, with
the very large pipe entering, is definitely a centrifugal gas turbine like
those used to drive the compressor section of a turbocharger, on a Big
Diesel, or industrial size. The hot gases flowing through these pipes cause
the centrifugal turbine wheel(s) to spin very fast. The gases, having
finished this job, are direct rearward by nozzles. The mechanical output
shaft is connected to the smaller scroll device toward the front of the car.
Depending upon the excess energy left over from the pumping chores, these
hot gases (more later) pass through contracting nozzles and could produce a
forward thrust equal to the mass discharge and velocity capability. By no
means are these like traditional rocket engine nozzles, as they only have a
reducing diameter, and do not expand into the traditional "bell" shape of a
true rocket. This is due to the fact that the velocity of these gases is
sub-sonic, and a DeLaval nozzle (meant to bring fast flowing gases to sonic
velocity, at the throat (or smallest diameter) and then increase them still
further in the expanding "bell shaped" section of a traditional rocket. The
energy being equivalent to the mass discharge rate and the square of the
velocity. (F=mA=(1/2)mV^2) These devices just do not provide sufficient flow
to use this technique of accelerating the gases to supersonic speed. The
thrust would still, however be a product of the mass flow rat e and the
velocity that is achieved
To the front of these centrifugal turbines (which are converting hot gas
flow to rotating mechanical energy and hot gas exhaust) are the object of
the mechanical energy - yet another centrifugal device (one in each of the
three banks) which is acting as a pump. These pumps are feeding their
discharge of a combustible compressed air into the burner (gas generator)
section, the vertical cylindrical containers with the many circumferential
bolts. Somewhere along this path, or directly into these burners, fuel is
injected. This is possibly pressurized to a high level by those pumps in
the front to a level higher than the incoming compressed air. These
combustion chambers burn the air/fuel mixture and discharge the hot,
expanding, and high pressure gases into the very turbines that also power
the intake air compression and provide the thrust on being exhausted.
I know, it sounds pretty circuitous, but it really is fairly straight
forward, as these things go.
Unsure whether I have provided any insight into what appears, in these
pictures, to be an effort of some magnitude and imagination. Whether it
bears fruit by having enough left over hot gases flowing out the rear to
move this vehicle is not determinable from examining the pictures.
But it sure was a lot of work.
Now, a 351, with some NO, would at least burn rubber right down to the
rims. These pictured would probably melt asphalt, but the tires won't
smoke. Wouldn't do so well in the sound department, as it is likely to
render the observer deaf before the sound struck the auditory nerve. I do
know that would happen if you got within 1 mile of a REAL rocket. I was 5
miles away and it was excruciatingly loud and bright.
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < Find out what is most >
B9472289 < important in your life >
< and don't let it get away!>
<SLaifman@SoCal.RR.com>
<http://www.TigersUnited.com/gallery/SteveLaifman.asp>
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