Chapter 460 Sublight Speed ​​(2) (Additional Update for the Cutest Doudou, Her Master)

Inside the empty testing field.

As the photon engine is started, the 560 beta-ray laser heads in the focusing room instantly emit beta-rays that can kill people.

Due to the deflection of the magnetic field, most of the beta rays are focused on the mirror.

In an instant, an invisible stream of beta rays erupted from the engine nozzle.

Inside the control room.

Detection instruments have subsequently undergone substantial changes.

[Engine thrust: 342 kg...527 kg...]

[Chamber beta ray radiation level: 0.0006...0.0007...]

[Engine nozzle radiation level: 3416...4371...]

[System power consumption:...]

…

"There is no problem for the time being." Anatoly Ilkin said after looking at the data.

"We won't know until the end." Zhou Botong crossed his arms and said calmly.

At this time, the warm-up phase of the photon engine was over, and the staff began to continuously increase the power.

10% power...15% power...

Although beta rays are invisible, the radiation is powerful enough to ionize air molecules near the nozzle, creating a stream of pale blue plasma and crackling currents surrounding the engine nozzle.

If there is a living body within 100 meters of the engine at this time, it may be killed on the spot; even within 1,000 meters, it may be severely affected by radiation.

"This radiation level is so terrifying. It's even scarier than the poisonous hair of the Yiljin family." Sun Liancheng joked.

Anatoly Ilkin smiled awkwardly. After all, Lucia used highly toxic compounds as fuel in order to facilitate the storage of liquid rockets. This matter was well known in Blue Star.

"It seems that the photon engine cannot be used in the atmosphere of Blue Star, otherwise it will easily cause accidental damage." Zhou Botong said helplessly.

"There is nothing we can do about it. For the sake of performance, the photon engine must be willing to give up." Anatoly Ilkin said the last sentence in Chinese.

In the testing field, testing continued.

The power of the photon engine has soared to 80%, and the huge thrust has exceeded the sky.

This power has almost reached the cruising power. Zhou Botong looked at the data on the holographic display and calculated in his mind.

The prototype they designed was intended to propel a 3,000-ton spaceship. After some quick mental calculations, he came up with a figure: 12% of the speed of light.

For the next hour, they kept testing the photon engine.

Anatoly Ilkin held a preliminary test report:

"It's a little slower than expected. The cruising speed is 12.3% of the speed of light, and the maximum speed is 15.2% of the speed of light."

"How much power is consumed?" Zhou Botong asked.

"The maximum power is 6.47 million to 6.51 million kilowatt hours per second, and the cruising power is 5.17 million to 5.22 million kilowatt hours per second." Anatoly Ilkin smiled bitterly.

"Judging from the power generation efficiency of the current nuclear fusion reactor, at cruising speed, 70 grams of nuclear fuel is consumed per second, 252 kilograms of nuclear fuel is consumed in one hour, and 6.048 tons of nuclear fuel is consumed in one day." Zhou Botong suddenly felt a little dizzy.

Anatoly Ilkin is also very helpless: "We need to maintain an isolation magnetic field, and the efficiency of the laser head is not good. The energy consumption of our imitation is at least twice that of the Anluo star."

"We need to urge the Materials Research Institute and the Laser Research Institute to improve the beta-ray laser head as soon as possible. Otherwise, the huge energy consumption will be detrimental to the long-distance navigation of the spacecraft." Zhou Botong scratched his hair and said.

Of course, Anatoly Ilkin knows how terrible this energy consumption is. The speed of light in a vacuum is about 300,000 kilometers per second, and the cruising speed is 12.3% of the speed of light, which is about 36,900 kilometers per second.

If you go from Blue Star to Mars, the distance between the two is about 55 million kilometers to 400 million kilometers, which is equivalent to between 1490 seconds and 10840 seconds (24 to 180 minutes). The nuclear fuel required is 104.3 kilograms to 758.8 kilograms.

Of course, so much nuclear fuel is not actually needed, because in addition to the acceleration phase, there is still a large part of the time in the inertial flight phase, and the fuel consumption is about 20%.

But even so, a round trip to Mars would consume at least 42 kilograms of nuclear fuel, making a flight between star systems simply unimaginable.

"We continue to test for a while this week to see if there are any areas that need improvement," Anatoly Ilkin said.

"Okay, Iljin, please take a look. I'll sort out the test data just now and send it to the research institute."

"no problem."

In the test site, the photon engine, which erupts powerful radiation and plasma, is still running tirelessly.

At this time, the system stability of the photon engine and its long-term operation are being tested. These require detailed testing to avoid problems during outer space flight.

the other side.

Inside the Ion Engine Research Institute.

Mishima Ji, Jin Rucai and others have received the test data sent back by Zhou Botong.

"Jin Sang, it seems that our imitation consumes a lot of energy, 206% to 214% higher than the Anluo people." Mishima Ji shook his head and said.

"The power of the laser head and the isolation magnetic field have a great impact on the overall energy consumption, which is inevitable." Jin Rucai was also quite helpless.

After reading the test data, the two people quickly summoned researchers from the institute and began to adjust and improve the design of the prototype.

Other research institutes are also working hard. Many of them know the existence of the Anluo people and the Triangular Civilization. The urgency of the impending storm makes them continue to squeeze their potential.

At this moment, they are not living for themselves, but fighting for their relatives and friends, for human civilization, and for their homeland of Blue Star.

"Jin Sang, I have an improvement plan. Please help me conduct a supercomputer deduction."

"Can."

Jin Rucai opened the supercomputer of the institute, and Mishima Ji quickly told some data and improvement plans. His improvement plan was actually in the nuclear fusion reactor. This plan is to use the reaction waste of the nuclear fusion reactor as the propulsion of the ion engine. agent.

"Mishima, your plan still has a certain effect on speed improvement." Jin Rucai said while looking at the supercomputer deduction results.

"How much has it improved?"

Jin Rucai said: "The cruising speed has increased from 12.3% of the speed of light to 12.41% of the speed of light, and the maximum speed has increased from 15.2% of the speed of light to 15.62% of the speed of light."

"It's good if it works." Mishima Ji said happily.

…

at the same time.

Materials Research Institute.

Li Xiang, who still had difficulty making breakthroughs in room-temperature superconductors, had to put down the project at hand this time to help the Institute of Materials complete the artificial radium element project.

Huang Junjie's stand-in robot is also in the Materials Research Institute. Due to the scarcity of radium in Blue Star and even the solar system, the key material of the laser head cannot meet mass production standards due to the lack of radium.

As for how the Anluo people solved the problem of radium elements, it was because there was a planetary debris asteroid in the Anluo galaxy. This asteroid had a mass equivalent to one-fifth of the moon, and contained more than hundreds of thousands of tons of radium elements.

The Human Innovation Alliance can only envy and hate this kind of innate condition that can only be met but not sought, so now Huang Haojie and Li Xiang can only work hard to find a solution.

Either develop alternative materials or achieve large-scale artificial synthesis of radium.

There is no other way.