On 01/21/2011 01:12 PM, Jed Rothwell wrote: > Stephen A. Lawrence wrote: > >> Jed, you apparently didn't read the message I sent on this in >> response to one of your earlier posts. >> >> Thermite provides sufficient energy density, consumes no air, and >> produces only solid ash. > > I did miss that. Thermite burns very rapidly and produces extremely > high temperatures. That is what is for. It also produces dense smoke > which would be immediately obvious. I do not think slow burning > thermite exists.
The fast burn is the reason for using a screw feed, delivering the thermite "doses" at a controlled rate. This also provides a clear explanation for the need for continued electric power, of course. The smoke, on the other hand, would seem to be a problem. > Also, no common chemical is as energy dense as gasoline, kerosene or > butane. If thermite were more energy dense, they would use it for > rocket fuel instead of kerosene. Quite possibly -- but in any case thermite appears to be dense enough for this job. > > >>> I'm sure there are other reactions, though, and cleverer >>> constructions, so perhaps a few times longer might be achieved. > > I do not think there are. > > There may be some hypothetical methods, but as a practical matter for > a con-man (not a genius) there are none. > > - Jed >
