Unknown German propulsion system in 1944 using mercury injection

[novum]

Maybe mercury was used instead of water because water tends to go into thermolysis on higher temperatures. Thats why water was abandoned as a working fluid in nuclear propulsion.
The acting as piston concept can be applied also to gases as it was in the case of the buzz bomb cycle for instance. The air rushing into the buzz bomb from the back, was called "Luftkolben" or air piston. The Germans experimented a lot with such devices. See for instance the RR2 turbine "Rasender Roland 2".

 

[Scott Kenny]

Mercury has been used in switches, barometer clocks (Cox's timepiece)

I'd prefer it and all fissile material be on the Moon--and it's dust in our concrete.

Now, it can be converted into gold--which can be made liquid.

Might there be a radioactive environment where liquid mercury heats up to liquid gold without ever hitting a solid state and turning into "corium?"

Use of quicksilver as a working fluid doesn't have to be all madness.

In this case, it makes more sense to use mercury as the working fluid in a heat recovery system than to add to the mass flow.

You take heat out of the gas stream right before the turbines, and put it back into the gas stream right before the combustion chamber.

Same way the Chrysler turbine works. And I believe the WR21 works.

 

[Arjen]

Now, it [mercury] can be converted into gold--which can be made liquid.

Only at great cost. Better dig for it.

Might there be a radioactive environment where liquid mercury heats up to liquid gold without ever hitting a solid state and turning into "corium?"

No.

 

[publiusr]

Oh well...I was looking for something that would stay liquid through the widest range of temperatures without freezing or boiling over.

 

[aim9xray]

Ah yes. Gold-pressed Latinum?