design to cost

"Design to cost is a management strategy and supporting methodologies to achieve an affordable product by treating target cost as an independent design parameter that needs to be achieved during the development of a product." [1]

Applications of this methodology includes the dollar-a-gallon gasoline project.

(Fast links)

• Dollar a gallon gasoline
• Penny a kWh
• Hundred dollars a kg
• Miller's method
• http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5485
• http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7898 (Recent discussion and details)

The above articles are somewhat out of date but interesting for the objections raised.

• Mining Asteroids (Asteroid mining is a natural outgrowth of mining for power satellite parts.)

2013

• http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/propulsion-lasers-for-large-scale.html

Most recent article on the power satellites project

• http://youtu.be/qCiw99yRBo8 Lecture with slides.

• http://theenergycollective.com/gail-tverberg/266116/oil-prices-lead-hard-financial-limits

Article which justifies the 1-2 cent per kWh and $30-$50 per bbl oil assumption.

Topics that need wiki pages

Damage (or not) to the ozone layer from Skylon water exhaust and NOx

Multi GW thermal radiator to get rid of waste heat from the lasers.

Programing to keep the laser beam from intersecting with satellites in lower orbits.

Listing of launch sites with consideration for the initial power coming from the Earth.

If you came here from an old business card, the email address is no longer valid, use Keith Henson <hkeithhenson@gmail.com>