Artist's rendering of a full size EM Launcher capable of
launching payloads into orbit. Courtesy, IEEE.
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Lifeboat Foundation EM Launch Competition
The intent of this proposal is to hold an electromagnetic (EM) launch
competition, in which entrants design and build small-scale EM
launchers that boost gliders.
The entrant that
launches his or her glider to the highest apogee is awarded a $1,000
prize. In addition, all approved entrants are given $1,000
to help them build their EM launchers.
Thanks to generous donors, we have exceeded the $10K goal for this
grant. Our extra $2K is going towards a polycarbonate barrier between
the
launchers and the audience and we will also help pay shipping costs of
competitors'
power supplies for a no-energy-limit
launch demonstration. Of course,
additional donations towards this grant are
always appreciated!
BACKGROUND
All space development efforts are hindered by the cost of placing
payloads in orbit. Reducing launch costs specifically aids space
station development by allowing more mass to be placed into orbit for a
given budget, increasing safety factors and redundancy, and
facilitating unanticipated repair.
Most of the power in any rocket is used to launch the fuel and not the
payload. Electromagnetic (EM) railguns would avoid that problem and
would cost "<$600/kg, compared with the Space Shuttle (>$20,000/kg),
provided that acceptable launch rates can be achieved", according to
Ian
R. McNab, Senior Member, IEEE (Launch to Space With an Electromagnetic
Railgun, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 39, No. 1,
January
2003.)
Furthermore, EM launch technology could be deployed
within the time of interest to the Lifeboat Foundation, as evidenced by
the U.S. Navy's intent to replace steam catapults on aircraft carriers
with the
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System. The technology has
been demonstrated to continue working efficiently at high speeds, and
thus can be applied to boost of
spacecraft. Mature EM launch
technology would serve as a complement to the rocket designs that
were produced
through the
X Prize, with rocket launch for passengers and EM launch
for cargo.
THE COMPETITION
The competition will be announced through various media outlets, with
emphasis on informing university students and faculty. A tutorial on
design and construction of small-scale EM launchers will be made
available on the web. Teams wishing to enter the competition submit
proposals to be reviewed by a committee chosen by the Lifeboat
Foundation. The committee selects eight groups to award $1000 each for
construction of a launcher. This money is considered a seed; entrants
are not limited by this amount, but rules are intended to make this
amount sufficient to build a competitive launcher. Approximately six
months after the entrants are selected, the contest will be
held.
There are minimal restrictions on the entries, as follows:
1. Energy supplied to the launcher, from capacitors, batteries, a
flywheel/generator, or other power supply, is limited to 2000 J. This
rule prevents unlimited expenditures on power supplies, and focuses the
design work on improving the efficiency of the launcher.
2. All contestants must use the same glider, which will be supplied by
the organizers at the time of contestant selection. This likewise
focuses effort on launcher design.
3. Groups that use voltages higher than 120 V must submit a circuit
diagram and an additional waiver.
4. The
projectiles will be Estes Gnome rocket bodies ballasted to 25 g.
They're 14 mm in diameter and 260 mm long, with larger diameter fins.
Replacing the original fins with pop-up fins will be permitted.
"Regulation" gliders will be supplied on the day of the competition,
but obtaining gliders for practice is the responsibility of the
competitors.
This project advances both of the Foundation's short-term goals, public
education and advancement of space technology. The competitive nature
of the event increases public interest, while the potential for
improvement of the technology is great — many known launcher
configurations have not been explored in depth, and other possibilities
no doubt exist. If the contest is repeated annually, the energy limit
and funding can be increased each year, up to levels useful for placing
payloads into orbit.
ADMINISTRATION
Administration will be carried out by Dr. Phil Putman in conjunction
with Lifeboat Foundation. Dr. Putman will prepare the design tutorial.
Volunteers
will assist with staffing the competition.
BUDGET
$8000 - Eight groups are given $1000 each for EM launcher
construction.
$1000 - Prize money.
$1000 - Misc. expenses, such as publicity, providing tutorial materials
and gliders, and rental fees associated with the
event.
BIO
Dr. Phil Putman has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical
Engineering from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Materials
Engineering from the University of Houston. He is currently
at the Texas Center for
Superconductivity and has competed in events
such as the Ford Hybrid Electric Vehicle Challenge and the robot combat
tournaments Robot Wars and BattleBots.
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