Spacefuel: Utilizing Iron-Dust as a Cheap and Efficient Fuel Source

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of utilizing iron-dust as a fuel source for space travel, exploring various ideas related to magnetic properties, potential applications, and alternative approaches to propulsion and defense in space. The scope includes theoretical considerations, speculative applications, and innovative engineering concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests using iron-dust as fuel with a solar-driven electromagnet cannon, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and the potential for utilizing Martian dust.
  • Another participant proposes that non-ferrous iron could also be used, referencing the magnetic properties of ions.
  • A different viewpoint introduces the idea of condensing hydrogen on the ship, suggesting that liquid hydrogen has ferromagnetic properties and could be manipulated with magnetic fields.
  • One participant speculates about the existence of magnetic gases and their potential use as shields against meteors, proposing innovative mining techniques for air using magnetic technology.
  • Another idea presented involves the use of supermagnetic bullets to intercept meteors and the design of spaceships with fins to adjust centripetal force, comparing their shape to that of fish.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of speculative ideas and approaches, with no clear consensus on the feasibility or effectiveness of the proposed concepts. Multiple competing views and hypotheses remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on unverified assumptions about the properties of materials and the effectiveness of proposed technologies, such as the magnetic properties of gases and the practical application of magnetic fields in space environments.

Sariaht
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You could use iron-dust as a fuel, if you used a powerful
solar-driven electromagnet canon as an engine inside the ship.
you could turn parts of the iron into dust on your way through space.
the reason why i think this idea is good is that it would be so very cheap.

Also, the dust on Mars could be partly ferromagnetic, therefore it should be extremely easy to clean the surface from dust.
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
Good thought - it doesn't have to be ferrous iron though: you can use the magnetic properties of an ion. Its called http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/prop06apr99_2.htm
 
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What if you condensate hydrogen on the ship?
Liquid hydrogen do have ferromagnetic properties...

whith the help of cold, vibrating, magnetic capilares?.

heavy magnetic fields does actually make substances superconducting
(I read it in a science-paper yesterday),
and that indicates that they do condense gases! I WAS RIGHT!
This could be used in Sahara; they could spread out magnetic plastic capilares in Sahara to get water!
 
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By the way, are there any magnetic gases?

I have a feeling that magnetic gases could be used as a shield against heavy meteors.

You could actually mine air with vacuumfild magnetic bulletlike things. That would surely stopp the use of ferromagnetic aeroplanes and weapons. It could also be used as a defence against comets.


What about supermagnetic bullets to shoot down meteors?

What if you had fins on spaceships so that the centripetal force could be adjusted? Maybe spaceships should look more like fishes.
 
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