Prototypes and Tests
In September 2006 New Scientist reported that Shawyer had constructed a prototype unit weighing 9 kilograms that consumes 700 watts of power and produces 88 millinewtons of force.
In May 2007 Eureka magazine reported that a second unit has been built for demonstration purposes, weighing 100 kilograms, consuming 300 watts for microwave production (and an unspecified amount for ancillary purposes such as cooling) and producing 96.1 millinewtons of force during testing in October 2006. Unlike the prototype unit, which can only be run for short periods before burning out its magnetron, the demonstration unit can be run continuously.
The limiting factor for performance is claimed to be the Q factor of the cavity, as microwave energy lost to heating the cavity reduces the field strength within, so Shawyer is experimenting with a cavity lined in a superconducting material that may produce Q factors sufficient to build a device capable of generating 30 newtons per watt.
Read more about this topic: Em Drive
Famous quotes containing the words prototypes and/or tests:
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