GeSp2167

MEGABRIDGES

by J. E. D. Cline 920503

PURPOSE OF THIS LIBRARY FILE

Explore the benefits of initiating a KESTS Technology

program. KESTS Technology R&D hasn't begun yet! A fresh look

at its potentials here hopefully may stimulate action to

begin serious R&D on it, instead of waiting for someone else

to do it.

DEFINITION

KESTS = Kinetic Energy Supported Transportation Structure

POTENTIALS CREATED BY KESTS TECHNOLOGY

There are potential applications that would have

unmatched ability to help both mankind and earth's ecosystem.

The technology has the potential of bridging really vast

distances, which means the transportion of resources to where

needed, such as the bringing of glacial water to desert farm

areas, and transporting coal from the mine to the consuming

powerplants far away; also incredibly means the potential for

opening up GEO for construction of vast living habitats

enough for far more than the whole earth's population...

enabling continued expansion of civilization and populations

while taking the load off of the earth surface ecosystem;

also means meaningful work for vast numbers of people going

for greatly improved standards of living.

Thus it also means a powerful positive alternative

to the threat of forced severe population and economic

controls imposed worldwide.

WHAT ARE KESTS

Kinetic Energy Supported Transportation Structures

basically would be long tubular structures that are supported

by the tremendous kinetic energy of streams of hurtling

objects circulating within them. They have a curved shape,

much like the shallow curve formed by the path of a baseball

thrown by the pitcher to a catcher's mitt, returned by the

catcher to the pitcher, back and forth continuously, forming

a curved arc between them.

WHAT KESTS PERHAPS COULD DO

These structures could be used for transporting

people and goods between places very far apart, and also for

storing and transfering electrical power around its loop

length.

HOW KESTS WOULD WORK

The basic technology would create extremely long

structures in which energy is stored in the form of

circulating streams of fast moving objects. The structures

have had all the air removed from inside them, so the stream

of objects can move at speeds of thousands of miles per hour

without air's interference. The objects move almost in

free-fall at orbital velocities within their long, gently

curving tubular structures. They are electromagnetically

exchanging their kinetic energy at a low rate only with

specific things: the mass stream accellerators, the

electrical power extractors (decellerators), the enclosing

structure, the "benders" of stream direction, and the

vehicles moving along the structure. The speed of the mass

stream is changed electromagnetically, much as an ordinary dc

motor is sped up or slowed. Some of the energy in the stream

is used to support the container's structural weight. More of

that energy is used to move payloads along the surface of the

container.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

The technology could create extremely long

structures which are far beyond that which is possible using

the ordinary strength of materials, since the circulating

energy within the structure is what supports the structure.

Some examples are:

* Pipeline support for piping glacial water to

desert areas.

* Single span bridges hundreds of miles long.

* Ore and coal transport from mine site to

processing sites.

* Direct transportation between distant cities and

suburbs.

* Very tall radio towers for the plains states.

* Intercontinental single-span bridges within the

equatorial belt.

* Direct connection between the surface of the earth

and space.

* Direct support of low earth orbit altitude launch

platforms.

* Direct connections possible as far as the Clarke

Belt, 22,300 mi.

* and KESTS on the Moon and Mars could improve access

to/from them.

The technology could store enormous amounts of

energy, accessed electrically, and be used to smooth out the

supply and demand fluctuations in commercial electrical

power.

The technology could move energy from place to

place. Since the energy storage involves very high velocity

circulating streams of energy, the containing structures can

be very large. The electrical energy can be input at one

place and extracted for use from another place along the

structure.

There are potential applications of this technology

that utilize all of these capabilities. One extremely

important megaproject application would have the circulating

structure range from the surface of the earth out to earth

synchronous orbit and back. This could enable an astonishing

opportunity for humanity, the opening up of a potentially

vast unique new real estate. In more detail it has potential

for:

* Storing enormous energy along its length

* Provide connection to space-located solar electric

powerplants

* Be the transportation link between those

powerplants and earth

* Bring solar electric power to earth surface

electrical grids

* Be a bridge from earth surface to GEO materials

processing

* Provide the power for payload vehicles moving

along itself

* As a bridge for a railway between earth surface

and earth synchronous orbit (known as "GEO" and the "Clarke

Belt"), efficiently moving materials to that high place for

building the spacecraft and construction gear to go to the

Moon as a major resource for raw materials for building vast

space settlements back in the Clarke Belt high above the

earth's equator

g * Be a bridge from earth surface to vast GEO space

settlements which then could be built in earth synchronous

orbit, relatively stationary compared to the earth's surface

AN OLD SPACE SETTLEMENT DESIGN, FOR A NEW PLACE TO LIVE IN

SPACE

The major detailed design of the assocoated kind of

space settlement was done back in 1976 by a NASA study group.

Back when the reality was fresh in people's minds, of people

traveling to the Moon, exploring while the proud eyes of

earthbound people watched, and bringing samples of raw

materials back to here on Earth. The structure of these

space settlements was to be built entirely from raw materials

brought from the moon, launched from there to special areas

in space known as L4 and L5, places which are the same

distance from the earth as the moon, and form the points of

an equal sided triangle, the moon being the third point, and

the earth being at the center of this imaginary triangle.

The space settlements built of raw material brought

from the moon were designed to be home for 10,000 people

each. Half of their internal area was devoted to agriculture

to feed them well. The other half was residential, commercial

and light industrial. The sense of gravity was created by

putting a slow spin on the huge wheel-like settlement

structure. The typical residence was to be like a townhouse

built on a hillside on one side of a valley 600 feet across,

with plenty of grass areas and trees, and an artificial

stream going down the center of the valley. This valley, of

course, gently curved upward in each direction, as it went

around inside the mammoth wheel. The outer shielding mass

did not rotate, and was the netted mass of the slag left over

from the refining processes that made the aluminum, iron and

titanium sections from which the main structure was built.

The new thing here is that the KESTS make it

possible to build some of the huge space settlements nearer

earth in GEO, only 10% as far from the earth surface as is L4

and L5, without waiting for the moon to be outfitted with

mining and launching equipment. The massive transportaion

capability of the KESTS probably would make it feasable to

build the first several of the 10,000 person space

settlements out of prefab sections built on th earth surface,

and then hauled up the KESTS to synchronous orbit. The space

settlement design could be more easily perfected with daily

direct access to the earth surface. And from an associated

spaceport there in orbit with these settlements, a robust

return to the moon could occur. Then the lunar ores could be

gathered and transported for construction of more of the

space settlements in GEO. And there is room for 1.5 million

of these space settlements in each ring of them around the

earth in GEO...at 10,000 people each, that is high living for

15 billion people, far more than the present entire

population of the earth. KESTS has the potential to make this

possible.

Too far in the future? Perhaps not nearly as far as

one might think. For example, examining the previous plan for

building such space settlements out in L4 and L5, it was to

have taken 22 years from when started until when the first

one were to be occupied. Starting then in 1976, 22 years from

then would be 1998, just 6 years from now. And that was doing

it the hard way, building launchers and mines on the moon

first, and sending the material far to L4 and L5 for entirely

fabricating the structure there in space the hard way right

from the beginning. The first one would have been ready for

occupancy a mere 6 years from now if we had started it back

then in 1976. And like the combination of KESTS and this ring

of space settlements in synchronous orbit, the earlier plan

was also to be funded from selling clean electrical power

derived from the endless solar power out there in space.

The sooner the development of KESTS technology gets

started, the quicker they will be available for use. The

presense of the KESTS between earth surface and earth

synchronous orbit could make the first occupancy of a 10,000

person space settlement much quicker, since it could bring

up the prefab materials directly for building the first

settlement right there at its high point, relatively

motionless over the equator.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

There are social/psychological requirements for the

synergistic cooperation so necessary for long term survival

in such a delicately balanced system. Very consistent

individuals as well as very creative individuals are needed

to keep it all running and cope with new challenges, and

provide a high standard of living for all. An essential

aspect of creating the KESTS and associated ring of space

settlements is to create and populate them with people who

are fully functional, well balanced human beings who are

having all their needs fulfilled in the process, including

such uniquely human needs as a satisfactory love life for

everyone.

FUNCTIONAL RELIABILITY

Reliability of the technology is of extreme

importance. They will need to function indefinitely, once

people depend on them. So research needs to focus on which

kinds of KESTS technologies potentially have extreme long

term reliability.

A goal might be to make the reliability equivalent

to that of a heat pipe. A heat pipe is a sealed tube which

transports heat from one end to the other end by vaporizing

fluid in itself at its hot end, and condensing the resulting

vapors back to liquid at the cold end. The liquid runs

downward back to the hot end, maintaining the circulation.

Such a sealed system with functional long term reliability

needs to be a developmental goal of KESTS technologies.

KESTS technologies which have only short term

reliability have applications, too:

* Emergency bridges for rescue or emergency supply

activities

* Creating the temporary "falsework" upon which is

built a high reliability KESTS along the same path.

* Temporary demonstration of the potentials of KESTS

A conventional bridge, once built, needs little

attention except for anticorrosive painting. Although the

KESTS bridges similarly are essentially stationary

structures, they require the control complexity of a jet

airliner and power plant. Constant monitoring of wind loads

pushing against the side of the KESTS, and shifting moving

payloads along the lenght of the KESTS, require constant

compensatory tiny shifts in the velocity direction of the

stream as it exits the re-accellerator.

PUTTING IT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE

Emplacement of KESTS is a major challenge, like

building any bridge. What is to support the sections of the

structure while it is being built? Only another KESTS has the

span and strength for this task. The temporary form of KESTS

needs to get emplaced itself first, of course. One way is to

launch a non-enclosed temporary KESTS built like a linear

turbine engine, something analogous to how a linear

electrical motor is like an unrolled ordinary electrical

motor, so analogously would this form of KEST be launched by

a chemical rocket engine's exhaust push against a chain of

buckets thusly being accellerated meteorically upward, like

an "unrolled" jet turbine engine. Once a circulating loop is

formed by this very inefficient KESTS, and maintained by

continued added energy at earth surface contact points by

continued chemical engine power or by steam pushing against

the stream of buckets, this could be the "falsework" upon

which a true KESTS could be built and accellerated up to

self-supporting speed. Another possibility is by using an

unbalanced force at the upward end of a very small diameter

flexible KESTS which perhaps could raise and direct itself

upward to eventually define the circulating path of the

larger more permanent KEST to be built.

SOME RELATED MATH

There are some general mathematical principles which

apply to KESTS. One is that the kinetic energy of any one of

the objects in the hurtling stream inside the KESTS is

one-half of the mass of the object times the velocity of the

object again times tho velocity of the object (Ek=.5*m*v*v).

Another is that the total energy contained within a KESTS is

the rate of energy flow at the output of the re-accellerator

times the length of the KESTS. Another is that the energy

needed to be input to the re-accellerator(s) is the sum of

the energy needed to support the weight of the tubular shell,

the energy used to support the weight of the stream benders,

the energy needed to power the vehicles moving payload along

the structure, and the energy that is drawn out at another

location along the KESTS, all divided by the efficiency of

the accellerator(s).

SOME OTHER PRINCIPLES INVOLVED

The weight of the mass stream itself does not need

energy to be supported, since its considerable mass is

essentially coasting in free-fall and does not additional

energy to support it once it has been accellerated to its

correct velocity. The energy of each piece of the mass

stream is continually excahnging between the kinetic energy

of high velocity and the potential energy of altitude above

the earth surface, so this means the speed of the components

of the mass stream near it top is significantly slower than

that speeding past the earth surface contact point(s); since

the actual number of mass stream components passing any

given part of the KESTS loop is constant, this means they are

closer together at the top than at the bottom of the loop.

And there are actually at least two laterally-connected tubes

with mass streams flowing within them around the loop,

because support of the weight of the tube can only be done by

electromagnetically dragging against it by an

upward-direction moving mass stream, so there needs to be an

upward portion of the mass stream on both sides of the KESTS,

speaking of one of the kind which does a loop all around the

planet and extends out to GEO at one point.

Undoubtably, serious R&D on KESTS Technology would

produce real working systems that differ in many ways from

that envisioned here. In a dozen years of so, the idea of

KESTS may have faded from knowledge; or perhaps someone

looking down at a KESTS tube from a prototype space

settlement, and muse that this 1992 file resembles reality

reminiscent to the following item on electricity: This is

transcribed from an ad received at a WESCON, by the T. Louis

Snitzer Co. showing a reproduction courtesy of the Rosenbach

Foundation, comparing the current state-of-the-art

instrumentation (in 1966) with State-of-the-Art

instrumentation in 1752.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newport, March 16, 1752

Notice is hereby given to the Curious,

That at the COURT-HOUSE, in the Council-Chamber, is now to

be exhibited, and continued from Day to Day, for a Week or

two;

A Course of Experiments, on the newly-discovered

Electrical FIRE:

Containing, not only the most curious of those that have

been made and published in Europe, but a considerable Number

of new Ones lately made in Phaladelphia; to be accompanied

with methodical LECTURES on the Nature and Properties of that

wonderful Element.

By Ebenezer Kinnersley.

LECTURE I.

I. Of Electricity in General, giving some Account of the

Discovery of it.

II. That the Electrical Fire is a real Element, and

different from those heretofore known and named, and

collected out of other Matter (not created) by the Friction

oe Glass, Etc.

III. That it is an extremely subtle Fluid.

IV. That it doth not take up any perceptible Time in

passing thro' large Portions of Space.

V. That it is intimately mixed with the Substance of all

the other Fluids and Solids of our Globe.

VI. That our Bodies at all Times contain enough of it to

set a House on Fire.

VII. That tho' it will fire inflammable Matters, itself has

no sensible Heat.

VIII. That it differs from common Matter, in this: its

Parts do not mutually attract, but mutually repel each other.

IX. That it is strongly attracted bhy all other Matter.

X. An artificial Spider, animated by the Electric Fire, so

as to act like a live One.

I. A Shower of Sand, which rises again as fast as it falls.

XII. That common Matter in the Form of Points attracts this

Fire more strongly than in any other Form.

XIII. A Leaf of the most weighty of Metals suspended in the

Air, as is said of Mohomet's Tomb.

XIV. An Appearance like Fishes swimming in the Air.

XV. That this Fire will live in Water, a River not being

sufficient to quench the smallest Spark of it.

XVI. A Representation of the Sensitive Plant.

XVII. A Representation of the seven Planets, shewing a

probable Cause of their keeping their due Distances from each

other, and from the Sun in the Center.

XVIII. The Salute repulsed by the Ladies Fire; of Fire

darting from a Ladies Lips, so that she may defy any Person

to salute her.

XIX. Eight musical Bells rung by an electrified Phial of

Water.

XX. A Battery of eleven Guns discharged by Fire issuing out

of a Person's Finger.

LECTURE II

I. A Description and Explanation of Mr. Muschenbrock's

wonderful Bottle.

II. The amazing Force of the Electric Fire in passing thro'

a Number of Bodies at the same Instant.

III. An Electric Mine sprung.

IV. Electrified Money, which scarce any Body will take when

offer'd to them.

V. A Piece of Money drawn out of a Person's Mouth in spite

oe his Teeth; yet without touching it, or offering him the

least Violence.

VI. Spirits kindled by Fire darting from a Lady's Eyes

(without a Metaphor).

VII. Various Representations of Lightning, the Cause and

Effects of which will be explained by a more probable

Hypothisis than has higherto appeared, and some useful

Instructions given, how to avoid the Danger of it; How to

secure Houses, Ships, Etc. from being hurt by its

destructive Violence

VIII The Force of the Electric Spark, making a fair Hole

thro' a Quire of Paper.

IX. Metal melted by it (tho' without any Heat) in less than

a thousandth Part of a Minute.

X. Aninals killed by it instantaniously.

XI. Air issuing out of a Bladder set on Fire by a Spark

from a Person's Finger, and burning like a Volcano.

XII. A few Drops of electrified cold Water let fall on a

Person's Hand, supplying him with Fire sufficient to kindle a

burning Flame with one of the Fingers of his other Hand.

XIII. A sulphourous Vapour kindled into Flame by Fire

issuing out of a Cold Apple.

XIV. A curious Machine acting by means of the Electric

Fire, and playing Variety of Tunes on eight musical Bells.

XV. A Battery of eleven Guns discharged by a Spark, after

it has passed through ten Foot of Water.

As the Knowledge of Nature tends to enlarge the human

Mind, and give us more noble, more grand, and exalted Ideas

of the AUTHOR of Nature, and if well pursu'd, seldom fails

producing something useful to Man, 'tis hoped these Lectures

may be tho't worlthy of Regard & Encouragement.

> Tickets to be had at the House of the Widow Allen, in

Thames Street, next Door to Mr. John Tweedy's. Price Thirty

Shillings each Lecture. The Lectures to begin each Day

precisely at Three o'Clock in the Afternoon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the rate of advancement of knowledge and

technological capability appearant in the last decade, the

creation of KESTS megabridges including those out to a ring

of space setlements in earth synchronous orbit, could be done

within the lifetime of most of those now living on earth.

That is, if we choose to do it, if we start soon, if we

somehow resume our high rate of technological competancy and

advancment, and if it all pans out.

The concepts are perhaps still too vague and

undefined to be a launching point for serious action by the

scientific and industrial powers. But let's consider the

lecture advertisement of 1752, and yet also notice the

electrical and electronic technology around us, electric

lights, telephones, circulating fans, elevators, household

appliances, digital watches, computers, color television and

stereo Walkmans: they are real, useful, and essential parts

of our daliy lives.

The almost incredible potentials represented by

Kinetic Energy Supported Transportation Structures,

especially that of the possibility of them enabling the heavy

weight of the massive human civilization to move to earth

synchronous orbit within most of our lifetimes, and thus

allowing the restoration of a naturally balanced earth

surface ecosystem, seem at least worthy of real immediate

attention.

REFERENCES IN GENIE SPACEPORT LIBRARIES

953 EARTHBOUND KESTS

Desc: KESTS applications on earthsurface

644 ELEVATOR 3

Desc: Project update including space habitat

563 ENERGY/TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Desc: Electrical power from space transportation system

690 GEO HABITAT UMBILICAL 2

Desc: Scenario for spacefaring society.

881 GEO TREEHOUSE

Desc: GEO KESTS

629 GEO'S UMBILICAL

Desc: Transport to Space

747 HWY TO EARTH GEO RING

Desc: General audience writeup

1723 KESTS WIND COMPENSATION

Desc: Proposing a KESTS wind force compensation

927 LONGTRANS 2

Desc: Tethers, KESTS talk

592 MICROELEVATOR IMPORT

Desc: microelevator significance/synopsis

578 MICROELEVATOR VERS. 1

Desc: Micro Space Elevator, Earth to GEO

581 MICROELEVATOR VERS. 2

Desc: Project for group creativity

1315 MILLIDIAMETER KESTS

Desc: Self-emplacing KESTS demonstraton

880 PASSIVE STABLE KESTS

Desc: Passivily Stabilized KESTS

553 POWER + TRANSPORTATION

Desc: Electrical Power + Space Transport

689 SPACE HABITATS AT GEO

Desc: Synthesizing concepts /GEO habitats

475 SPACE INSPIRATION

Desc: Ideas for Space projects

1023 TREEHOUSE FIVE

Desc: Envisioning KESTS/GEO Habitat Ring

An Excalator Hi page titled GeSp2167 by J E D Cline started on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 5:28:25 PM US/Pacific

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