Focusing Radiation

--- In ssi_list@... "Raven"
>
> > In orbit, is it possible to focus the diffuse radiation? How
could
> > you do it? A big lens, magnet of some sort? Why would you want
to do
> > it?
>
> Which radiation? Solar wind? CMEs? Galactic atomic nuclei?
Intergalactic gammas?

I don't know. Here's what I had in mind. Let's take oil refining as
a case study.

The crude oil is delivered to the refinery. It first goes through a
fractional distillation process where heat is used to vaporize the
crude. The vapor is then channeled to a fractional distallation
column where a temperature gradient from bottom to top will allow
the vapor to condense into various petroleum substances.

Next these substances are sent to cracking, unification or
alteration facilities.

In the cracking facility, the substances are subjected to thermal
and pressure environments, and/or a catalyst.

In the unification process, the substances are sent through a
catalytic reforming facility where platinum is used as a catalyst to
reform naptha into aromatics with hydrogen as a by-product.

In the alteration process, the substances are sent through a
alkylation facility where low molecular weight compounds are
reformed into higher octance products in the presence of a catalyst
such as hydroflouric acid.

So, the oil refining process uses the "physical properties" of heat
and pressure and also uses catalytic process.

My question is could we not also use the "physical properties" of
radiation, vacuum, extreme temperature, and variable gravity to
create a process that results in a product that we currently don't
make. Not oil.

I'd imagine that the various types of radiation would change the
materials at the atomic levels. What use would that be? Why would
you want to do that at an industrial scale? How would radiating
carbon, for instance, produce another form of carbon that is more
amenable to some industrial process?

Then let's say some chemical process is under way but you need to
slow down the crystallization process, so now the process is
directed to a shaded area of the the factory, and the heat of the
process is channeled to huge radiators, and the process loses its
heat and enters an environment of 50 degree K.

Another process needs zero-g during the initial stages then is
channeled to a 5-g environment then through a variable-g
environment (let's say using gravity in a process similar to
fractional distillation) and then back to zero-g.

You see, I'm dancing around the edges because I know Jack Squat
about chemical engineering and I'm wondering what could be done with
these types of processes that are either impossible to do on Earth,
or very expensive.

You may be able to set up a refinery that subjects the materials
being processed to small doses of radiation, but in space, we should
be able to use radiation in industrial quantities. Same with
cryogenic and high temperature processes. But what for?

Which comes back to my first question? Can you channel radiation?
Can you funnel it so as to increase the radiation density per area
of volume?

> I think it would be better to produce it yourself. Then you
have control of what species of radiation you get, and what energies.
>
> Jon Lennart Beck.

The question for me is how can we use the inherent qualities of the
environment of space in industry. What you say is true, but IF we
can capture, channel and concentrate radiation in industrial
quantities then it may be more economical than having to create it.
Small doses, yes, you're right. Large doses, I don't know.

TangoMan