An ion locomotive engine that smashes the fuel efficiency record has been register for an innovation letters patent . InventorPatrick Neumanntold University of Sydney student newspaperHoni Soitthe drive could go to “ Mars and back on a tankful of fuel ” , but its first software may be shunting meshwork of small orbiter around in Earth orbit .
Neumann sound out the idea for the ion locomotive make out to him as a third twelvemonth student assist a postdoc as part of a program to connect undergrads with real research . Neumann measured the focal ratio of Ti ions free by a pulse galvanizing arc , alike to an spark welder . “ The titanium was coming out at 20 kilometre per second [ 12.4 miles per irregular ] and I thought ' you could use that for jab ' , ” he secernate IFLScience . In subsequent work Neumann turn up his hunch decently , eventually testing the suitableness of 11 textile .
The results were spectacular . One measure of thruster efficiency isspecific impulse , unremarkably called “ bounce per snow leopard , ” and is measure out in seconds . The existing record is NASA’sHigh Power Electric Propulsion(HiPeP ) with 9,600 second , but fueled by magnesium Neumann ’s drive managed an estimated 14,600 second gear of specific impulse . He say “ Other metals have lower efficiency , but higher driving force . So you would need more fuel to get to Mars , but could get there faster . ”
Schematic of Dr Patrick Neumann ’s ion thruster . Credit : Neumannspace
Neumann say metal fuel have advantages besides efficiency . HiPEP habituate Xenon , and as Neumann says , “ Xenon is hard to source aside from Earth . ” Magnesium is line up as olivine in asteroids , but Neumann has accomplish promising upshot with titanium , aluminium and other widely used metals . starship using his drive might rule capturing fuel made from a dead satellite a handy way to refuel , clean up thespace rubble problemat the same time .
Ion thruster such as the one thattook Dawn to Ceresare only worthy for function in vacuums , and Neumann says even getting off the Moon or larger asteroid will stay a job for rockets . However , he says his drive could be suitable for go up a spacecraft from low-spirited somberness object like Mars ' moons Phobos and Deimos .
“ Using very rough , very early computation we think 20 kilograms [ 44 pounds ] of magnesium could get a 100 kilogram [ 220 pound ] ship to Mars and back . It would take three to five old age and there will be some weight for the craft , solar panels and communications , but we recollect there would be 20 kilograms left over for the payload , ” Neumann told IFLScience . “ With a higher thrust fuel in a Neumann Drive you could do it in nine to 11 months , but the fuel tank would be empty when you got there . ” In the 2d case a return journeying would require either scavenging stuff topically or parking fuel in Mars scope , or on a refuelling post make at Phobos or Deimos , preparatory to the voyage .
Neumann say experiments with pulsed electric arcs on metal go back to the 1920s , and some of the information collected was useful to him in measure what to test . This piece of work was done with less than half the current he uses , and no one before him had tried using high current pulse arcs for thrust .
