The concept of a laser-powered aircraft is discussed. Laser flight would be completely compatible with existing airports and air-traffic control, with the airplane using kerosene only power, up to a cruising altitude of 9 km where the laser satellite would lock on and beam laser energy to it. Two major components make up the laser turbofan, a heat exchanger for converting laser radiation into thermal energy, and conventional turbomachinery. The laser power satellite would put out 42 Mw using a solar-powered thermal engine to generate electrical power for the closed-cycle supersonic electric discharge CO laser, whose radiators, heat exchangers, supersonic diffuser, and ducting will amount to 85% of the total subsystem mass. Relay satellites will be used to intercept the beam from the laser satellite, correct outgoing beam aberrations, and direct the beam to the next target. A 300-airplane fleet with transcontinental range is projected to save enough kerosene to equal the energy content of the entire system, including power and relay satellites, in one year.


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    Titel :

    Laser aircraft


    Beteiligte:
    Hertzberg, A. (Autor:in) / Sun, K. (Autor:in) / Jones, W. S. (Autor:in)

    Erschienen in:

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1979-03-01


    Medientyp :

    Sonstige


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch




    Laser aircraft propulsion

    Sun, K.C. / Hertzberg, A. / Jones, W.S. | Tema Archiv | 1979


    Laser aircraft propulsion

    Hertzberg, A. / Sun, K. | NTRS | 1978




    Laser-Protective Aircraft Transparencies

    Brown, J. A. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995