Appendix A - Design Calculations
i) Torus
Floor area required at 1g: 1,442,640m2
Floor area of torus:
Where = radius to torus floor
r = minor radius
Rotation rate required to get 1g acceleration at torus floor:
Where = acceleration due to gravity (9.806ms-2)
= angular velocity (rad/sec)
= radius to torus floor
Limit of rotation rate: 1 rpm = 0.1047 rad/sec
=> minimum radius to torus floor: 894.5m
=> maximum minor radius: 128m (+ radiation shielding)
Line of sight (i.e. - how far you can see before floor reaches eye level)
Equation of a circle: x2 + y2 = r2
Where x and y are co-ordinates of point, i.e. - ordered pair (x, y) and r = radius of circle
For line of sight, x = radius - height above floor (1.7m), r = radius to torus floor
=> Line of sight (y) =
Comparison of radii
Minor radius (incl. shielding) |
100m |
125m |
150m |
Radius to torus floor (m) |
1183.52 |
940.997 |
780.96 |
Line of sight (m) |
63.412 |
56.54 |
51.5 |
rpm required for 1g |
0.869 |
0.9748 |
1.07 |
ii) Moveable spheres (see fig. 7.1b)
Floor area required: 9,000m2 (2,250m2 per sphere)
Door to lift: every 18m
Area of sleeves: = 86.59m2 in each floor
Floor 2 (door at centre) => floor 1.5m below equator.
x2 + y2 = r2
=> x2 = r 2 - (1.5)2
=> Floor area =
Floor 1, 16.5m above equator
Floor area =
Floor 3, 19.5m below equator
Floor area =
Floor area required = S floor areas 1, 2, 3
=>2250 =
=> r 2 = 484.545
r = 22m