[extropy-chat] Space elevator numbers III

[Keith Henson]

At 12:39 PM 2/16/2007 +0100, Eugen wrote:

snip

>I understand the tether design is a pure CNT ribbon 1 m wide, and aready well
>in touching distance of the theoretical tensile strength. This does
>strike me as only borderline doable, and perhaps not at all doable.

This proposal does not use ribbon.  Reason for ribbon was because you 
tapered in the thickness dimension and the climbers went up gripping the 
ribbon with big rollers.

This project gets the taper from pulley stations and uses round constant 
diameter mechanically driven cable that goes though all pulley sheaves and 
back to the ground.  See the .jpg. This is really important in the buildup 
stage.

Keith