GeSp1391

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Number: 1391 Name: SPINNING RING QUESTION

Address: J.E.D.CLINE1 Date: 901126

Approximate # of bytes: 3780

Number of Accesses: 20 Library: 5

Description:

Considering a horizontally spinning ring which

has all points going faster than the tangential velocity

necessary to overcome the pull of gravity at that

orbital distance from center of Earth.

Keywords: ring,spinner

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SPINNING RING QUESTION November 25, 1990

by James E. David Cline

Here is a puzzler on what seems to be a potential space

transportation device. Of course it can't work, but why not?

Let's mentally create and evolve the device: picture a

horizontal evacuated tube, say, one yard long. At each end

place a sufficiently powerful reflector, and let a stream of

mass bounce back and forth between the reflectors,

travelling in the evacuated tube. The mass stream is

travelling at or above orbital velocity, say 20,000 mph at

sea level, along its horizontal path.

Since the mass stream is travelling horizontally and at

orbital velocity, it is effectively in orbit around the

Earth and thus it adds no weight to the device, right?. If

the mass stream is travelling above the orbital velocity for

that distance from Earth center, then it would appear to

have negative weight, and thus able to exert a lifting force

upon the device containing it (the tube with the

reflectors) since the tangential velocity would be greater

than that necessary to overcome the gravitational attraction

of the Earth.

To reduce the power needed for the end reflectors, make

the mass stream path bounce along an equilateral triangle,

needing 3 reflectors. And then between 4 reflectors forming

a square. Carrying this process of adding sides to the

polygonal path, we reach a limit of a circular shape,

requiring minimal reflector strength.

Continuing to modify this device, let the mass stream

become a solid spinning ring, spinning in a horizontal path

at or above the speed of orbital velocity (at sea level,

say, where the gadget is being tested) within an evacuated

toroid. Make the spinning ring of material of sufficient

tensile strength and diameter so as to not break up. Since

all points on the spinning ring are travelling in orbits

around the Earth, the ring would appear to have no weight;

and if its speed is increased even faster, it would even

exert lift force on the evacuated toroid it travels within

(again, the velocity of each point on the horizontally

spinning ring is greater than the velocity tangent with

Earth's center needed to balance out the pull of gravity

there), assuming very low friction electromagnetic bearing

surfaces between toroid and spinning ring. If the upward

force exceeds the weight of the evacuated torus, up it goes!

(Of course, we know it couldn't go up, for that would be

like anti-gravity, and we know that is impossible. But why

won't it work? That is the question.) Has anyone carefully

measured the weight of a horizontally-spinning gyroscope,

before and after spin-up?

An Excalator Hi page titled GeSp1391 by J E D Cline started on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 5:20:10 PM US/Pacific

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