Re:New nuclear engine concept could help realize 3-month tri...
by rocqua on Monday October 26, 2020 @07:05AM
(#24894829)
From what I read, electric engines have some pretty big limitations.
- Very low thrust makes it hard to use the oberth effect
- Low thrust to weight ratio makes the actual wet/dry mass ratio harder to get down
- You are not just thrust limited, but also thermal limited. Many other rockets expel a lot of the heat they generate through the exhaust. Electrical engines do not, which means needing to get rid of that heat in other ways.
- Very low thrust makes it hard to use the oberth effect
- Low thrust to weight ratio makes the actual wet/dry mass ratio harder to get down
- You are not just thrust limited, but also thermal limited. Many other rockets expel a lot of the heat they generate through the exhaust. Electrical engines do not, which means needing to get rid of that heat in other ways.