Re: superhero space navigation

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:23:46 GMT, Bryan Derksen
<bryan.derksen@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>Oh, it just occurred to me that transmitter power might not be that big 
>an issue after all. I was starting to ponder things like solar panels 
>and fuel cells when I realized that the radio set is being carried by 
>Superman. Just put a hand crank on a nice hefty generator, maybe with a 
>flywheel or battery so he doesn't have to keep cranking continuously 
>while talking, and you've got yourself a power source. Overheating may 
>be an issue, though. :)

That's assuming that superstrong goes with the flight &
invulnerability. :=)

Unless the super can crank superfast, you'll need a really hefty gear
ratio. And have to deal with the potential of it breaking.

On the other hand, I just had a picture of a pair of "platforms"
hooked to the generator via gearing.

One  is up a few meters, the other is at the "bottom" of the stroke.

Pile rocks, or boxes of regolith or the like on top of the high one,
engage the clutch and release the brake. 

Assuming a 2m square platform, piled 2m deep and an average density of
3 for the stuff piled on it, that's around 24 tonnes. With (say) a 3
meter "stroke".

At 1/6 gee, that's roughly 120 kilojoules per stroke. Or one kilowatt
for 120 seconds.

When it finishes a stroke, you use a little of the power to raise the
next platform and them stack the containers on it.

Scale up the size and stroke some, and you get more power or the same
power for longer.