Backstory. Carbon nanotubes have a list of extraordinary properties, such as extreme strength, electrical conductivity and heat conductivity, literally
orders of magnitude higher than commonly used materials. The main problem is they have not been able to be produced at arbitrarily long lengths. At most they have been produced at a few centimeter lengths.
In 2004 I raised the possibility we might simply be able to tie together existing nanotubes to produce arbitrary long lengths:
From: r...@yahoo.com (Robert Clark)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.policy,sci.materials
Subject: Can we now build the space elevator?
Date: 29 Aug 2004 08:01:49 -0700
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci.physics/t6_DHqaV5xM/jeWHXzU08t8J
From: "Robert Clark" <r...@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.policy,sci.materials
Subject: Re - Can we now build the space elevator?
Date: 9 Jun 2005 11:29:08 -0700
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci.space.policy/sRQapugRLaE/U0c6NnyZHAAJ
I wrote to several researchers in the field of nanotechnology to suggest the experiment be carried out to see if the nanotubes would retain these remarkable properties when tied together. I got positive feedback from some of the scientists and I was hopeful that the idea would be tested.
However, after five years, by 2009, I saw the proposal still had not been tested. Then, I applied for a grant from a federal agency to carry out the experiment myself. Unfortunately the grant proposal was turned down. So I thought that was the end of it.
Then in 2011 I saw this research announced:
Energy
Nanotube Cables Hit a Milestone: As Good as Copper.
Researchers achieve a goal they've been after since the 1980s—the advance
could make cars and airplanes lighter, and renewable energy more practical.
Monday, September 19, 2011 By Katherine Bourzac
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/38615/
![]()
The article describes research by scientists at Rice University who created
lightweight electrical cables by mechanically tying together nanotubes. In their research the Rice scientists also tested the strength of these tied together nanotubes and found them to be of comparable strength to the aluminum or copper wires now used but at lighter weight.
In my grant proposal I noted that there were various ways of tying together ropes that had varying levels of strength. The one the Rice scientists used was one of the simplest, but also one of the weakest.
I therefore wrote back to the federal agency to suggest the experiment still needed to be conducted to see if by using the strongest types of knots would be able to maintain the higher strengths of the nanotubes.
I was still unsuccessful with the grant reviewers. I could not get the point across that the fact the nanotubes were able to maintain their high conductivity when tied together suggests that it should at least be tested if they could also maintain their strength when tied together using the strongest possible knots.
It should be noted though the grant reviewers didn't think the high conductivity of the nanotubes would be maintained either. After discussion with various scientists in and outside of the field, I noticed the arguments against it's feasibility really were not of a technical nature. The arguments were, quite literally, of the nature:
"That would be amazing if such a simple idea would work. That must mean it's impossible!"Proposed Experiments.
So the proposed experiment would be to test using the various types of strong knots, some at 80% to 90% of the strength of the component ropes, to see if they are also able to maintain the strength of the carbon nanotubes
(patent pending). The experiment would require the rental of a machine for handling objects at the nanoscale called the Nanomanipulator™:
![]()
It would also require hiring the technicians skilled in its use, thus the funding.
Note there are other possibilities for joining the nanotubes together. One for example is to use nanoscale diamond to join the nanotubes. These can be produced synthetically and maintain the strength of natural diamonds. The idea would be to generate the nanoscale diamonds around the ends of two nanotubes placed close to each other, connecting them (patent pending).
This and other possibilities are discussed in this post to my blog:
If these methods succeed then it would be revolutionary to construction and technology. Potentially we would have materials for construction a hundred times stronger than steel. It would also make possible the long theorized space elevator:
![]()
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator Lightweight materials are also of course important for orbital launch rockets. Carbon nanotubes available at arbitrary lengths would also make possible the long desired single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles, and routine commercial manned spaceflight.
That's the "Space". What about the "Air"?
Long has it been dreamed about a personal "aircar" or "flying car" that could be privately owned and takeoff from the family garage. Carbon nanotubes now make that possible.
About the last decade or so there was much research among amateur experimenters about "ionocraft", commonly called "lifters":
Ionocraft.
![]()
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionocraft They work on the principle of
electrohydrodynamic (EHD) propulsion: electrical power is used to ionize the air which is then directed by electric fields.
The problem with the lifters has been though the power requirements are so high they could not produce enough thrust to lift their own independent power supply. The lifters that have been produced work by having a power supply on the ground and connecting the power supply to the lifter through cables.
BUT there is an interesting aspect of the equations describing the thrust produced by the lifters. The thrust increases as the diameter of the wires producing the ionization, called the "corona wires", decreases. The wires used for the lifters so far have been a few hundred microns wide, a few widths of a human hair.
However, the nanotubes have widths at the nanoscale. Calculations show the thrust then produced should be enough to lift the lifters AND their power supply. Theoretical discussion of the inverse dependence of the thrust on the corona wire radius here:
Lifter theory
Force/Power optimization
by Evgenij Barsoukov
Courtesy of Evgenij Barsoukov
Created on April 30, 2002 - JLN Labs - Updated on April 30, 2002
http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/liftfpwr.htm
Note it has already been proven by the Rice University researchers the nanotubes when tied together can conduct electricity better than the metal wires now in use. Then the only thing needed now is to confirm the validity of the modeled thrust of the lifters that nanoscale wires can produce EHD thrust sufficient to lift the craft and its power supply.
The Nanomanipulator™ then will also be used to produce an ionocraft with wires consisting of nanotubes tied together
(patent pending).
Note this will also work to produce real hoverboards as well as personal jet packs.
For technical detail, see:
