A proposed concept for the extraction of energy stored in magnetic or electric fields in space

It is known that enormous energy resources associated with electric, magnetic, gravitational, and other fields exist in space. It is also known that the major difficulty in 'tapping' this energy arises from the extremely low density level at which this energy exists. An analytical study has been made of a particular scheme that appears promising for an efficient utilization of some of these energy resources in propulsion. The principle involves the exchange of energy between a fluctuating magnetic field and a velocity field of electrically conducting fluid in turbulent motion located onboard a spacecraft. Under certain conditions the total energy of the turbulent flow field onboard the spacecraft can be increased and this increase appears in the form of Joulean heat. The utilization of the fluctuating part of the magnetic field, in the form of Joulean dissipation (because of its random character) does not introduce any drag on the spacecraft. The application appears promising for flights in the vicinity of Jupiter and other planets. The rate at which energy is gained by the conducting fluid is of the order of 100 watts when the rms value of the fluctuating magnetic field strength is about 1 gauss.