Re: BeanStalk Conduction limits

From: Ian Stirling (root_at_mauve.demon.co.uk)
Date: 06/18/04 

Date: 18 Jun 2004 15:03:50 GMT

In sci.space.policy Gordon Couger <gcouger@nospamprovalue.net> wrote:
>
> "Earl Colby Pottinger" <earlcp@idirect.com> wrote in message
> news:76adnR8Rzo07S0zdRVn-ug@look.ca...
>> Christopher James Huff <cjameshuff@earthlink.net> :
>>
>> > In article <car2dn$k3t$1@panix3.panix.com>,
>> > "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Wouldn't magnetic storms induce strong currents along the whole length
>> > > of the cable? You may need a few meters of kevlar every kilometer,
>> > > all the way up.
>> >
>> > For what? Assuming a conducting cable, what circuit will the current
>> > take?
>> > And remember that although individual carbon nanotubes of some types are
>> > good conductors, they are not necessarily in good electrical contact.
>> > The elevator will not be a very good conductor, it's resistance over
>> > significant distances will be quite high.
>>
>> This is a major beef to me. Naysayer keep talking about the beanstalk as
> it
>> is made out off copper, considering it's lenght and small cross-section it
>> would have a very high total resistance even if made out of a good
> conductor.
>> However the fibers are imbedded in a non-conducting resin and the max
>> tensional strenght of a composite material occurs when the fibers are not
>> touching but rather have 100 percent coverage with resin. This type of
>> composite will be a poor conductor no matter what the internal fibers are
>> made of.
>>
>> Additionally, a question I asked before that was never answered. Someone
>> claimed that bucky tubes were Ballistic SuperConductor with an internal
>> resistance of less than 7000 ohms no matter what thier length were, but
>> no-one stated what happens if two BSCs touch each other in series - does
> the
>> total resistance still stay at the same value as a single cable or the sum
>> values of both cables?

> At some point in a thunder storm it will start to conduct or the dust and
> dirt on it will and the resulting lighting bolt will detach the anchor.

So, you clad the bottom 10Km in sufficient aluminium/copper to conduct the
bolt.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: BeanStalk Conduction limits
    ... >> composite will be a poor conductor no matter what the internal fibers are ... >> total resistance still stay at the same value as a single cable or the sum ... > dirt on it will and the resulting lighting bolt will detach the anchor. ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: BeanStalk Conduction limits
    ... >> composite will be a poor conductor no matter what the internal fibers are ... >> total resistance still stay at the same value as a single cable or the sum ... > dirt on it will and the resulting lighting bolt will detach the anchor. ...
    (sci.space.policy)