Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)

From: Christopher M. Jones (marmiteNOTSPAM_at_dualboot.net)
Date: 06/21/04 

Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 22:27:49 -0500

N:dlzc D:aol T:com (dlzc) wrote:
> Dear Christopher M. Jones:
>
> "Christopher M. Jones" <marmiteNOTSPAM@dualboot.net> wrote in message
> news:g8kBc.14$bn.35763@news.uswest.net...
> ...
>
>>You seem not to be able to tell the difference
>>between two different individuals with the same
>>first names. I suggest you remedy that as it
>>could prove embarrassing (well, more so) in the
>>future.
>
> My apologies.

No prob. It was mostly a forgiveable offense.

> When you said:
>
>>... Loads on the counterweight
>>pull it down, but as long as it's still above
>>geosynchronous orbit the natural dynamics of the
>>counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up
>>and restraighten the tether.
>
> I had assumed you meant that the anchor would not then continue on past
> "straight", in its undamped oscillations about "straight". I guess
> "working it out" doesn't mean the same to you, as it does to me.

You're half right. The anchor will oscillate, but those
oscillations *are* damped. They are damped by gravitational
dynamics. The lowest energy configuration for the tether
with a counterweight is a straight tether with the
counterweight directly above the tether's ground
connection. Perterbations may disturb the cable from this
orienatation but natural forces will return it, eventually.
As I keep saying, these things have been worked out, your
questions have been answered, you just refuse to accept
the answers because you don't like them.

For any given appropriately designed orbital tether with a
counterweight there will be a given maximum rate of cargo
movement up and down the cable that will not destabilize
the cable into uselessness. This is much analagous to
the maximum weight a bridge can carry.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)
    ... >>counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up ... The anchor will oscillate, but those ... The lowest energy configuration for the tether ... counterweight there will be a given maximum rate of cargo ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)
    ... >>counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up ... The anchor will oscillate, but those ... The lowest energy configuration for the tether ... counterweight there will be a given maximum rate of cargo ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)
    ... >> counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up ... >> and restraighten the tether. ... Quotation marks are properly used to denote quotations, ... commonly or correctly used to denote a substitution. ...
    (sci.materials)
  • Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)
    ... >> counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up ... >> and restraighten the tether. ... Quotation marks are properly used to denote quotations, ... commonly or correctly used to denote a substitution. ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: Uses of Bulk Nano Materials (was beanstalks)
    ... >> counterweight in the Earth's gravity will pull it back up ... >> and restraighten the tether. ... Quotation marks are properly used to denote quotations, ... commonly or correctly used to denote a substitution. ...
    (sci.space.policy)