nuclear Tunnel boring machine

[Michel Van]

If this Topic in wrong place, i m sorry

this part NASA and Los Alamos (Military) Project

The Idea a Tunnel boring machine who melt its way true Rock by Nuclear Heat!

http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/lib-www/la-pubs/00387371.pdf
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/lib-www/la-pubs/00368561.pdf
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19890007687_1989007687.pdf

Nasa want it for Tunnel Moon Base
Military use to build Cheap Tunnel

Picture source http://www.tomswift.info/homepage/aearth.html

PDF source:
there is a Server for Los Alamos Documents
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/index.html

 

[sferrin]

Something like this would likely be used to get through the ice of Europa and down to the water.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Something like this would likely be used to get through the ice of Europa and down to the water.

Yes, but the problem would be hopw to get the data back up through kilometers of extremely hard and cold ice. Radio would have a major probelm doing that, and if it used a cable - electrical or opitcal - id tould have to carry all; that cable on a spool within the borer... miles of the stuff. And if the ice above shifted at all, it'd snap the frozen-in-place cable.

*Sound* might turn out to be a good way to go.

 

[sferrin]

I think they could make a tough enough fiber optic line. Talk to the TOW or MK48 people . As cold as it is though I'd think the ice would be freezing up behind it as it went in, effectively embedding the thing in the ice. As long as the ice above it didn't shear it should be okay I'd think. I guess a lot would depend on how solid the ice is. If it's all jumbled up and constantly shifting like in the arctic then it could be a problem. All the shifting ice would make using sound a problem as well.

 

[SOC]

Interesting. Puts the recent gigantoid explosion test blast in Nevada in a new light...

 

[Michel Van]

to Ice Moon Europa

why not use the Ice as medium for transmission ?

Laserlight could work if the Ice is transparent

*Sound* might turn out to be a good way to go.

that idea is brilliant Scott ;D
Ultrasonic wave true the Ice to a microphone on Landerleg

question how much data can be transmitted to Lander ?

other alternative
the probe melt down looks around and melt is way up and Send data from surface europas...

Interesting. Puts the recent gigantoid explosion test blast in Nevada in a new light...

if you mean that Aerosol Bomb Test yesterday that was in Russia...

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://atomic-skies.blogspot.ie/2012/07/those-magnificent-men-and-their-atomic.html

 

[Lauge]

Why do I keep picturing the project manager for this one as a bald guy in a suit, with a facial scar and a white cat?

Regards & all,

Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg

 

[Pem Tech]

Something like this would likely be used to get through the ice of Europa and down to the water.

Yes, but the problem would be hopw to get the data back up through kilometers of extremely hard and cold ice. Radio would have a major probelm doing that, and if it used a cable - electrical or opitcal - id tould have to carry all; that cable on a spool within the borer... miles of the stuff. And if the ice above shifted at all, it'd snap the frozen-in-place cable.

*Sound* might turn out to be a good way to go.

You may be on to something there. Modern oil and gas logging while drilling techniques use acoustics to transmit DATA topside.

 

[turboshaft]

Jalopinik reports that the Soviets also had their own nuclear subterrene program: https://jalopnik.com/the-soviets-may-have-once-built-a-secret-nuclear-powere-1828395776

Allegedly, the Battle Mole was about 12 feet in diameter, and about 75 feet long. It held a crew of five and around one ton of cargo, which would likely be explosives and/or other weapons. Using its reactor to melt material in front of it as it drilled and flow that material behind it, the Battle Mole could dig through solid rock at speeds between about 4 to 8 MPH.

The description of an alleged accident in 1964 near Nizhny Tagil that reportedly destroyed the Battle Mole prototype seems to promulgate the usual confusion between nuclear power and fission weapons: "Since the explosion was nuclear, the apparatus with the people in it simply evaporated, and the broken tunnel collapsed."

 

[Graham1973]

Jalopinik reports that the Soviets also had their own nuclear subterrene program: https://jalopnik.com/the-soviets-may-have-once-built-a-secret-nuclear-powere-1828395776

Allegedly, the Battle Mole was about 12 feet in diameter, and about 75 feet long. It held a crew of five and around one ton of cargo, which would likely be explosives and/or other weapons. Using its reactor to melt material in front of it as it drilled and flow that material behind it, the Battle Mole could dig through solid rock at speeds between about 4 to 8 MPH.

The description of an alleged accident in 1964 near Nizhny Tagil that reportedly destroyed the Battle Mole prototype seems to promulgate the usual confusion between nuclear power and fission weapons: "Since the explosion was nuclear, the apparatus with the people in it simply evaporated, and the broken tunnel collapsed."

That story makes me think of a bad 1960s film called "Battle Beneath The Earth" that took the 'Reds (Chinese) Under The Beds' idea literally, ironically it was made in the UK!

Here is the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dVu2KLtEYA

 

[stealthflanker]

This makes me think about underground SSBN.

Anyway, the concept alone looks promising. I wonder if there are still development on it, though the nuclear power might discourage civil applications.

 

[TomS]

Promising? I think it looks like pure nonsense.

 

[Foo Fighter]

The idea of deliberately recreating a China syndrome event leads me to the conclusion that the designer belongs in a nice room with soft wall coverings, and a cabinet full of special sweets.

 

[CJGibson]

1) When I was a pup in the drilling business back in the 80s, the textbooks were full of laser drilling systems being the future. Fine for teeth but apparently not for rock on any large scale.

2) Data transmission on Europa - if the fluid in the bore hole is a liquid or kept liquid, pressure pulses can be used to transmit telemetry. It's a standard practice in oil well drilling. There are also electromagnetic systems, but from my very limited experience of those, they don't transmit large amounts of telemetry.

I seem to recall from the dark days of the early interweb, photos of tunnels with vitrified walls. Or maybe I dreamed that.

Chris

 

[starviking]

1) When I was a pup in the drilling business back in the 80s, the textbooks were full of laser drilling systems being the future. Fine for teeth but apparently not for rock on any large scale.

Assuming a laser of appropriate power and duration, the ablated materials would attenuate the laser beam significantly, and transfer heat to nearby machinery.

2) Data transmission on Europa - if the fluid in the bore hole is a liquid or kept liquid, pressure pulses can be used to transmit telemetry. It's a standard practice in oil well drilling. There are also electromagnetic systems, but from my very limited experience of those, they don't transmit large amounts of telemetry.

I'd assume if more rapid rates of transmission were attempted pulse reflections off the walls would interfere with the pulses. A lot of energy would also be needed.

I seem to recall from the dark days of the early interweb, photos of tunnels with vitrified walls. Or maybe I dreamed that.

Could be dreams of fusion-enabled "torch" drills, or perhaps more mundane: lava tubes.