New engine being developed by boeing

[Theinquisition]

http://www.businessinsider.com/boein...losions-2015-7

Last week, the US Patent and Trademark Office approved an application from Boeing's Robert Budica, James Herzberg, and Frank Chandler for a laser- and nuclear-driven airplane engine.

With airplane makers constantly on the lookout for new and more efficient ways to power their products, this laser engine is the latest idea cooked up by the engineers at Boeing.

Modern airliners such as the Boeing Dreamliner are powered by multiple turbofan engines. These engines deploy a series of fans and turbines to compress air and ignite fuel to produce thrust.

Boeing's newly patented engine provides thrust in a very different and rather novel manner. According to the patent filing, the laser engine may also be used to power rockets, missiles, and even spacecraft.

As of now, the engine lives only in patent documents. The technology is so out-there that it is unclear whether anyone will ever build it.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/boein...#ixzz3gT7nFf7x


This is really cool, if we can implement this into space vehicles, we can eliminate the need for liquid based fuels, and extend the range in which we can travel in space, reduce weight, and provide a dramatic increase of thrust.

American ingenuity for the win!

[Reeve]

I saw this a few weeks back, but from what I remember, it is actually an older patent that is being reported on again.

Still, really cool if they can actually get it to function.

It's a pretty sad commentary when you can patent something that you can't get to work.

[Elegiac]

American ingenuity for the win!

Yeah. Too bad that a lot of this technology is going to start coming from areas that actually fricking invest in science such as Europe and Japan.

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It's a pretty sad commentary when you can patent something that you can't get to work.

Copyright law is broken in the US? Perish the thought.

[Zoldor]

Hopefully it works better than the piece of junk F35 from Lockheed did.

Cool idea, but seems pretty far out of reach at the current juncture. Boeing does well most of the time so time will tell, could just be them reupping the patent with new info to protect the idea for the future.

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Yeah. Too bad that a lot of this technology is going to start coming from areas that actually fricking invest in science such as Europe and Japan.

How cute you think that investing in the EDUCATION of STEM means that those people are going to stay in Europe and Japan and not move to the US to make a shit ton more money because we pay. Our military budget insures that the best and brightest end up at the contractors the US uses because the pay is so good. Don't get me wrong there are some good hearted folks out there who will work for the dream, but most end up at the big names like Boeing, Lockheed, etc.

[Elegiac]

How cute you think that investing in the EDUCATION of STEM means that those people are going to stay in Europe and Japan and not move to the US to make a shit ton more money because we pay. Our military budget insures that the best and brightest end up at the contractors the US uses because the pay is so good. Don't get me wrong there are some good hearted folks out there who will work for the dream, but most end up at the big names like Boeing, Lockheed, etc.

It also ensures that a lot of that intellectual capital is wasted on garbage novelty projects like the F-35 and various NASA related failures.

Crony-Corporate America strikes again!

[Reeve]

Looking at the actual story, it's talking about using a self sustaining fusion reaction to power the engines. Since we can't even build a self sustaining fusion reaction (short of a hydrogen bomb) that isn't part of a much more complex thrust engine, I'm going to call bullshit on this as a patent.

[Theinquisition]

It's a pretty sad commentary when you can patent something that you can't get to work.

It's the idea that's patented. I wouldn't say that they "can't get it to work", it more of a "we haven't started to build it yet" Although I will agree that I find it odd that you can patent a idea, effectively prohibiting anyone else from building it. That needs to be fixed.

[Afrospinach]

Hopefully it works better than the piece of junk F35 from Lockheed did.

It doesn't. From memory the kind of energy required for the laser is laughably large.

[Theinquisition]

Yeah. Too bad that a lot of this technology is going to start coming from areas that actually fricking invest in science such as Europe and Japan.

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Copyright law is broken in the US? Perish the thought.

Well We can always count on Didactic to find a way to detract from a advancement or idea, if its American.

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It also ensures that a lot of that intellectual capital is wasted on garbage novelty projects like the F-35 and various NASA related failures.

Crony-Corporate America strikes again!

Whoop Whoop, red herring alert.

Does it really irk you that bad that our capitalist style system encourages growth and innovation. Where's your socialist countries at on this, why aren't they coming up with cool ideas such as these?

Stop provoking other posters

[Zoldor]

It also ensures that a lot of that intellectual capital is wasted on garbage novelty projects like the F-35 and various NASA related failures.

Crony-Corporate America strikes again!

but all the people with the ability to get paid come here and get paid. Doctors, Engineers, etc. I don't love the system, but I recognize that just investing in education in your country isn't going to get people to stay there and not move away for the money. Yeah we failed on the F-35 and other NASA missions, but we've also succeeded on a lot of stuff as well. What other country has done as much with Space besides Russia? What European country recently sent something to Mars or put in a Hubble Telescope?

[Reeve]

Whoop Whoop, red herring alert.

Does it really irk you that bad that our capitalist style system encourages growth and innovation. Where's your socialist countries at on this, why aren't they coming up with cool ideas such as these?

We ARE a socialist country in the US, Tony. More than half our total budget is spent on social programs.

[Theinquisition]

Looking at the actual story, it's talking about using a self sustaining fusion reaction to power the engines. Since we can't even build a self sustaining fusion reaction (short of a hydrogen bomb) that isn't part of a much more complex thrust engine, I'm going to call bullshit on this as a patent.

I think the problem with fusion reactors is containment of the process, this engine, if I'm reading right, isn't trying to contain the reaction, but focus it.

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We ARE a socialist country in the US, Tony. More than half our total budget is spent on social programs.

True...true..I guess I was speaking of the style socialist countries that Didactic prefers.

[Reeve]

Copyright law is broken in the US? Perish the thought.

I think I'll go ahead and patent a nuclear fusion powered smartphone tomorrow. 1 mm thick, 6"x3" with rounded edges.

[Tradewind]

I think the problem with fusion reactors is containment of the process, this engine, if I'm reading right, isn't trying to contain the reaction, but focus it.

Problem with fusion is that it generally takes more energy to do it than you get out of it

[Reeve]

Problem with fusion is that it generally takes more energy to do it than you get out of it

In a controlled reaction. You can get a shit ton of energy out of an uncontrolled fusion reaction. Just ask Bikini Atoll:

[GodlyBob]

In a controlled reaction. You can get a shit ton of energy out of an uncontrolled fusion reaction. Just ask Bikini Atoll:
http://cfile25.uf.tistory.com/image/...4BEB687D33BD74

Thought that was a fission reaction? Or did I get turned around at Albuquerque?

[Ripster42]

In a controlled reaction. You can get a shit ton of energy out of an uncontrolled fusion reaction. Just ask Bikini Atoll:

And you know, the sun.

[Tradewind]

In a controlled reaction. You can get a shit ton of energy out of an uncontrolled fusion reaction. Just ask Bikini Atoll:

[img]http://cfile25.uf.tistory.com/image/197E201E4BEB687D33BD74[img]

Well, yes lol.

I don't think planes blowing up would be very practical though

[Reeve]

Thought that was a fission reaction? Or did I get turned around at Albuquerque?

You're right. That particular photo was a fission device. But Bikini Atoll has enjoyed Fusion tests, such as Castle Bravo:

[Ripster42]

Thought that was a fission reaction? Or did I get turned around at Albuquerque?

Fusion ignited by fission.

I mean, we have not that that one was.