|
Geomagnetic craft will be powered entirely by electric current stored in superconducting persistant current loops known as SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) devices. Able to store billions of amps of current due to nearly zero resistance, SMES coils are the solid-state equivalent of a flywheel.
Part of what makes our design so elegant is the same coil that stores the power also produces the magnetic field which propels the craft. Yet in order not to defy the laws of thermodynamics, there will be a slow drain on the current within the SMES coil. However, there is speculation among some engineers that as the craft descends through the Earth's magnetic field, some amount of current could be induced back into the system much like regenerative breaking on hybrid/electric cars. But overall, there is still much to learn about a technology that uses an integrated power supply and propulsion system. Elegant? Yes. Predictable? Not. |
