Re: NASA's Tethered Generator

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: NASA's Tethered Generator
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 16:55:01 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

Subject:     Re: NASA's Tethered Generator
      Date:  Mon, 05 May 1997 18:23:05 -0500
      From:  rickh-at-ghg-dot-net (Rick Holland)
        To: 
           Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
References: 
           1

Tesla List wrote:

> 
>   Robert, Mark -
> 
>   You could both be wrong. Tesla invented the so called "Tesla Coil" to
> create ultra high voltages with maximum power. We should be trying to
> optimize this apparatus (to help NASA with its tether generator). Sparks
> of
> any kind are losses and prevent the production of the high voltages at
> maximum power.

All right! I saw that. I'll have you know that we NASA weenies are a bit
miffed about the whole tethered satellite thing (not to mention the
Itialians). OK, so the thing generated in the thousands of volts and
made AMPs instead of milliamps, but how were we to know? Who else has
done anything like this? SO, we were moving a conductor through a
changing magnetic field. Who could guess that the magnetic field would
have areas of such intensity? I mean it's *just* a planetary magnetic
field; and just in case you forgot, we *do* have rocket scientists
working for us.

Of course, all of the above is said tongue-in-cheek :>). There are some
rather sheepish-looking rocket scientists wandering around here
muttering to themselves. I, being a lowly technician, was not consulted
prior to the launch of this experiment, but I have had some ideas on
power generation using a conductor and changing magnetic fields, and I
could have told them that I thought they should use a really heavy
conductor (just on instinct, not knowledge base).

I'm afraid I've gotten 'way off the topic, so I guess I'd better shut up
now. Just couldn't pass up the chance to poke a little fun.

     Rick Holland

     The Answer is 42.