ETC hybrid

[windshrike]

This isnt a 'has anyone tried this thread?' b/c those always end up 'you can be the first'. This is a thread simply to get an idea that will massively increase power in a hybrid out there.

ETC stands for electro-thermo-chemical. The basic idea is to dump massive amounts of current(1/2 to 1 farad range) into a deflagration to massively increase the speed of the reaction. Yes, you read right, electrically induced DDT. This may seem inherently stupid, but, should one have a chamber strong enough(buy hydraulic parts!!!!!! They can be 600 bar rated!!!!) this could, theoretically, at 9x, break Mach 10. The military is looking into etc to increase range of existing artillery.

Use at your own risk.

[Hotwired]

So, you get a jumbo capacitor of 1F and high voltage to arc through the burning plasma as the fuel ignites.

Can you fill in the theory of why this would significantly increase the pressure spike?

[windshrike]

Heat. duh.
Which increases the energy of each particle, and therefore a greater force repelling them from each other, which is also called an increase in pressure

[Hotwired]

Well from what I've just rummaged up about ETC, it's not likely to happen in spudgun circles.

It uses an electrically generated plasma blast to ignite and increase the efficiency of solid propellants.

Probably fileable under the same practicality category as railguns and coilguns methinks.

[boilingleadbath]

Oh, I don't know about that, hotwired; considering that heat-engien guns are about 30% efficient (percentage of input energy that is transfered to the projectile, and that railguns/coilguns are like a couple percent, I think it might be several times as practical as a railgun.

Perhaps even more so, considering that you don't need fancy switching hardware, and don't have to maintain precise rail geometries.

Of course, even at 30%, I think my combustion gun is a lot more practical - considering the expense and weight of a 2000 J flash-cap bank.

[windshrike]

This isnt about portability or practicality. It's about power.

[dongfang]

Hi,

So it´s about sending current through the ionized gas?

I wonder how much voltage is needed (per mm of electrode spacing).

Regards
Soren

[Intel Xeon]

Not voltage, but current. That means the amperage of the electricity. Like a car battery has relatively low voltage, but has a large amount of current.

[iPaintball]

Seems interesting, but farads don't measure current, they measure capacitance.

[Intel Xeon]

Now, I'm no physicist, but does not a large capacitance in a capacitor equal a large current at discharge?