Page 1 of 1
U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:53 am
by dualstow
Live. From a ship.
Originally, I was going to post a poll asking whether you think taxpayers should foot the bill for the rescue of that sailing toddler, but this is far more interesting.
The U.S. Navy announced today (Apr. 7, 2014) that it plans to install and test a prototype electromagnetic railgun (EM railgun) aboard a joint high-speed vessel in fiscal year 2016 — the first time an electromagnetic railgun will be demonstrated at sea and a significant advance in naval combat. EM railgun technology uses an electromagnetic force, known as the Lorenz Force, to rapidly accelerate and launch a projectile between two conductive rails. This guided projectile is launched at such high velocities that it can achieve greater ranges (up to 110 nautical miles) than conventional guns, a Navy statement says. It maintains enough kinetic energy that it doesn’t require any kind of high explosive payload when it reaches its target.
source:
http://www.kurzweilai.net/navy-plans-fi ... ip-in-2016
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:02 am
by Mountaineer
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 2:55 pm
by Reub
What a horribly destructive device! We should immediately share all technology with Russia, China, and Iran so as to demonstrate to them that we mean them no harm.
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 2:55 pm
by moda0306
Reub wrote:
What a horribly destructive device! We should immediately share all technology with Russia, China, and Iran so as to demonstrate to them that we mean them no harm.
That sounds like a horrible idea.
That, or a straw-man.
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 3:32 pm
by Reub
"Navy Researchers Convert Seawater to Jet Fuel"
http://www.newsmax.com/US/navy-research ... id/565132/
"Navy researchers have announced that they have figured out how to convert seawater into CO2 and hydrogen, which could be used to make jet fuel.
Heather Willauer, a research chemist with the Naval Research Laboratory, made the announcement Tuesday at the Sea Air Space Expo near Washington. She projected that in seven to 10 years, the military will be able to use the jet fuel made from seawater to operate its jets, ships and other vehicles, Defense One reported."
Can we keep this technology for ourselves because it sounds so cool and has "peaceful uses" as well? Do you think that Russia, China, and Iran would mind?
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 4:43 pm
by dualstow
Wow is that real? Much cooler than a railgun!
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 5:00 pm
by dragoncar
Reub wrote:
"Navy Researchers Convert Seawater to Jet Fuel"
http://www.newsmax.com/US/navy-research ... id/565132/
"Navy researchers have announced that they have figured out how to convert seawater into CO2 and hydrogen, which could be used to make jet fuel.
Heather Willauer, a research chemist with the Naval Research Laboratory, made the announcement Tuesday at the Sea Air Space Expo near Washington. She projected that in seven to 10 years, the military will be able to use the jet fuel made from seawater to operate its jets, ships and other vehicles, Defense One reported."
Can we keep this technology for ourselves because it sounds so cool and has "peaceful uses" as well? Do you think that Russia, China, and Iran would mind?
That doesn't even make sense.
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 5:13 pm
by dualstow
There's a little more on the seawater-to-fuel story here:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall ... -seawater/
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:53 pm
by Reub
Let's face it. Sometimes jet fuel is better than seawater....even at twice the energy requirement required to produce it. Although a carbon tax should be imposed just to even it all out.
Re: U.S. Navy to Test Electromagnetic Rail Gun by 2016
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 5:09 am
by RuralEngineer
TennPaGa wrote:
Reub wrote:
Let's face it. Sometimes jet fuel is better than seawater....even at twice the energy requirement required to produce it.
Yes.
The point of this technology is not to save energy, or to reduce CO2.
The point is to solve the logistics problem of how to move a whole bunch of jet fuel available to planes out in the middle of the ocean. Basically: make it on site.
This. The process can be horribly inefficient, but if it removes a fleet of tanker ships and extends field time, it's a win. Then there's the consideration that not all forms of energy are equal. Wind for example, is remarkably crappy compared to petroleum fuels in any number of ways. For example, long term storage of the energy is simpler, etc. I could easily see such a process one day being used to take various energy sources that are not well suited for transport or use in vehicles, for example, and being converted to hydrocarbon based fuels using seawater. Sacrifice efficiency for utility. This assumes we never solve the battery issue in a meaningful way, obviously.