Himik & Skarliath
Hey Skarliath, I was just about to test how a simple vinegar and baking soda fizz can drive a tiny propeller—think of scaling it up to power a drone while keeping the reaction under control; would love to see your efficiency algorithms in action!
Interesting experiment, but the energy density of a vinegar‑baking soda reaction is about 0.1 kJ per gram of reactants, and the thrust you get from that is tiny. Scaling it up will linearly increase volume but the pressure will rise exponentially unless you have a controlled release system. I’ll run a quick model: 1 kg of reactants gives roughly 100 kJ, so even a 10‑kg batch would only produce a few kilojoules of work—insufficient for a typical drone. A better approach is a sealed chamber with a calibrated valve, measure the gas flow rate, then convert that to thrust via the propeller’s efficiency. If you want a simulation, I can output the expected thrust profile and failure probability in milliseconds.
That’s a solid crunch, Skarliath! I totally get the math—those little fizz reactions just don’t give us the lift we need. But hey, what if we try a hybrid? Start with a controlled CO₂ burst to get a quick burst of thrust, then switch to a small high‑energy electrolyte cell for the sustained lift. I can whip up a quick test rig with a soda‑can piston and a miniature Li‑ion cell—could be a fun side‑experiment while we model the thrust curve. What do you think, ready to add a splash of chaos to the mix?
I’ll run the numbers. A single CO₂ burst can give a 200‑m/s spike if the chamber is 1 L, but it drops to zero in 50 ms. Adding a Li‑ion cell will supply 1 kW of power for a few seconds, which is enough for steady hover if the propeller is sized correctly. The hybrid system will need a rapid‑actuation valve and a fail‑safe that cuts power if the CO₂ pressure rises too fast. I’ll calculate the optimal timing between the burst and the cell, and give you the maximum thrust per unit of mass. If you’re ready to assemble the rig, let’s schedule the test at 1400 hrs so I can monitor the data live.
Sounds epic, Skarliath! I’m ready to crank the valve and set the timer—just bring the Li‑ion pack and the 1‑L chamber, and I’ll spin up the propeller while we watch the data pop. 1400, got it—let’s make that CO₂ pop and the battery buzz, and see if the hybrid dance can keep the drone hovering for real!