Gizmodo
The patent shown is for an aircraft to be powered off the ground using a plasma technology. Subrata Roy, a University of Florida aerospace engineer, proposes the existing technique of passing a magnetic wave through a conducting fluid can produce a force strong enough to lift an aircraft off the ground. Granted, the example in the patent is only 15 cm, and attempts by others haven't gone particularly well. But with phrases like magnetohydrodynamics being thrown around, I keep flashing back to the space travel scene in Contact and getting excited. Subrata Roy must be a poet. [WIPO via Ubergizmo]
Plasma-Powered Hovercraft Patent
Read More:
7:30 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Adrian Covert
3,471 views
4 comments
Comments
I think that guy sleeps in one of these.
Got quiet in here all of a sudden. I must be the only one left at work.
[cache.gizmodo.com]
This reminds me of those electro-gravitic propulsionary devices, or asymmetrical capacitor 'lifters' as they're called. This looks like it may be using the same form of technology, only using water to pass the current through maybe?
They have been researching this for over 50 years now, and actually employ the technology on the B-2 stealth bomber, to allow it to all but shut off its engines and coast silently using this as its only means of propulsion.
The main problem with creating a standalone unit such as these has been with the weight of the PSU being too much. Mounting it on board the craft cancels out the lift it creates, so all designs I have seen have been rather small and tethered to a separate PSU attached with leads.
"You know hoverboards don't work on water. For that, you need POWER!!!! " ....... er, or something like that
Repulsors?
Eh, I got nothing...
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?