Looking for Guidance on Funding for a Technology Startup

[David Callahan]

Myself:

 

39 y/o male.

11 yr Military Veteran

Education: BS Space Studies - APUS

Current Study: MS Space Studies - Aerospace - APUS

Location: Vicinity Washington, DC

 

Technology Startup:

 

Electromagnetic Propulsion Engine

 

Uniqueness:

 

Electro magnetism is one of the fundamental forces in the universe. The ability to use this force for propulsion has the potential to yield high thrust for a long duration. A provisional patent has already been submitted to the USPTO. A full utility patent will be submitted. The patent utilizes a unique configuration and application of electromagnets that provide a force onto a reusable magnetically reactive projectile. The engine is designed as to be able to accelerate the projectile repeatedly in order to provide thrust and impulse. Since this engine does not use propellant, instead using a reusable projectile, most of the energy needed will be used for the payload and habitation of a craft.

 

Wanted:

 

I am seeking guidance on how and where to apply for funding to develop a technology demonstrator. I am also willing to consider offers for collaboration with interested professionals with developing this technology. A non disclosure statement/agreement will be required before proprietary information is shared for review of feasibility. I also welcome professionals who are only curious about the engine design with no intent of collaboration. Just private message me with the information asked for so I can provide you with a NDS/NDA. The more minds thinking about the mechanics and feasibility, the is better for all of us. Those who are interested in collaboration and are accepted, may be potentially recognized as co-inventors when the utility patent is filed.

 

Potential Impact:

 

This technology will change human capabilities regarding human space travel by providing a better method for human travel into deep space by reducing cost and by increasing safety, reliability, lauch turn-around and mobility. By granting access to deep space for humans, the commercialization of space resources will become a reality. The technology will also have common commercial uses.

 

Opinion:

 

I admit that I do not fully understand the intricacies and the limitations of utilizing the electromagnetic force in this application, but there are no apparent fallacies with the intitial design that would prove the mechanics false. I have consulted professional engineers and layman for fallacies in design, and so far none have been found. The most common observation is why this has not been thought of before. This is understood to not always be a good sign, i.e. if it is that obvious, someone surely thought of it before, and if so, what was the prohibiting factor? But that is what professional review is for. I am not submitting my design for public dissemination because it is not an official patent yet, and also, I will not have control over the activities of foreign parties.

 

The engine may eventually be proven false by experts, but I feel that it would be selfish of me to sit on a potential that could benefit all of us.

 

If you have guidance for me, please post it here per forum rules and don't even THINK about depriving the rest of the membership by privately emailing me. If you are a professional in the requisite field for the development of this technology please provide educational background, work experience, and use our Private Message system so I can send you a NDS/NDA before sending you proprietary information. I am developing a white paper to submit for funding to various government agencies, but I know the response is going to be, "who the hell are you, and what organization are you affiliated with?" I also realize that there are a lot of professionals that visit this website that have initimate knowledge in this process. I hope to save alot of time and fast track the development of my proposal. I look forward to your response.

 

Thank you.

Edited September 24, 2013 by David Callahan
removed email address and request for member emails

[CaptainPanic]

Here are some keywords that may get you started (I live in the Netherlands, not USA, so I am not too familiar with your local options, and especially not with the possible research grants).

 

Some universities have "incubators" which are organizations that allow students (or other people?) to start up a company. They will assist with the ugly paperwork, and offer you a (cheap) office and sometimes even lab space. This is useful if you need to do some tests or build a first prototype. It may also be a place to do some necessary networking. As you say, you are a lonely guy now. You cannot do it alone. You will need a network. This could be a place.

 

You can also search for national research grants. Typically, institutes, companies and universities build a 'consortium', and they all get a grant together. They will share their fundings (and often they have an NDA for the whole consortium, so your ideas are safe). You are gonna have to ask elsewhere for the names of these programs. If this is organized similarly to Europe, then this will be difficult for you. Typically, the networking and consortium formation is done by insiders only. Just try to figure out if relevant industries, institutes or universities are involved in such projects. And then try to figure out which person is responsible for those projects. Be warned, they may initially see you as competition for their research grants.

 

Finally, if you already have a working prototype, you will just need a commercial party to become interested. This is the hardest thing to do for you - as they will be sceptical, and now that we have a financial crisis, they will not like to invest so soon. You can look for a commercial party that can apply your invention, or you can look for venture capital, who may invest and they help you to find an application. Sometimes, venture capital will invest even in an idea, and assist in funding the research. Obviously, that means you lose part of your rights to the patent... Be smart in your negotiations if you get to this stage.

 

Getting a patent was probably a smart idea. The commercial party, if they become interested, will probably want a license, or maybe even buy it from you. Whatever you do, you have to talk to a LOT of people. Be as open to them as you possibly can. And make sure to dress ok. It sounds stupid, but it matters.

 

Little disclaimer: I cannot guarantee that any of this is the best way forward for you. It is based on some observations only from myself.

[Spyman]

I am sorry but IMHO this looks suspiciously close to a scam asking for funding for a disguised perpetual motion machine.

 

The first indication is when OP admits to not fully understand the limitations his idea and that it may even be proven false but still come here asking for guidance on founding instead of discussing the theoretical working principles behind the idea.

 

Secondly there is no free lunch, while it is fully possible to move a craft by accelerating a projectile on the inside with a railgun or similar device, the thrust will only last as long as the projectile accelerates and to be able to recycle the projectile it needs to be decelerated again and then transported back to the starting point. During the deceleration the craft will recieve a total negative thrust of the same magnitude as it gained during the acceleration, effectively bringing its speed back to zero and the transportation of the projectile back to the starting point will be an opposite of its primary launch bringing the craft back to its starting point.

 

Third, even IF it would be possible to constantly accelerate and move a craft with an application of electromagnets and a reusable magnetically reactive projectile, the energy needed for this would still need to be at least equally large as the energy supplied by a conventional rocket engine with the same thrust and all this energy would have to be stored and carried on the craft. Most of the energy used would still be by the propulsion and be much much more than what the payload and habitation would need.

 

My conclusion is that a claim of high thrust for a long duration from very small amounts of energy is either a major fallacy about design capability and the laws of nature or a clever fraud attempt to gain easy money.

[CaptainPanic]

To me it sounds like something like this. If anyone wishes to continue discussing the technology, we should open a new thread. I'll join you there.

 

!

Moderator Note

I think this discussion should be about how to start a start-up. For that discussion, the actual technology is not so relevant.

[David Callahan]

CaptainPanic,

 

Thank you for your reply and your suggestions, I have thought of these various options that you have suggested, and I will be following a path that is most beneficial to me to the least beneficial. But I am willing to do mostly whatever needs to be done to explore this possibility. Seeking a venture capitalist is the last on my list. I have been entertaining the thought of contacting an educational institute with assistance on building a technology demonstrator.

 

Spyman,

 

I appreciate your concerns, they are rational concerns. But I assure you it is not scam for a perpetual motion machine. I am not asking for funding from any individual from this forum, I am asking how I can get a grant/funding from the government, or other organizational entities. Or at least to get professionals in this field interested enough to lend some weight as to give me some credence or even want to jump on board. I assure you, that if it was a scam, that my proposal would go far as someones wastebasket. Those who want to jump on board will be given the chance to be co-inventors dependent on their level of contribution, like a major change in utility, not a design change. I have not formed a company, but that will be my next step, that is if this technology is deemed possible.

 

I stated that I don't fully understand the principles, because who can say that they absolutely understand anything. If you are interested, pm me and I will send you a NDA/NDS if you are a professional that can give credible advice. After I get the signed NDS/NDA I will send you quasi-technical drawings (quasi because they are not professionally drawn, instead drawn by me, and I do not have the money or the technical skills to use some sort of CAD) that you can examine for any fallacies. Then you can post something on here that either endorses my idea or discounts my idea without giving any proprietary information away.

 

I realize that there is no free lunch, that since I am using electromagnets, that I am going to need a source of electricity to power them. This could be provided by nuclear, or a completely novel production, which I also have an idea. This novel idea may not be able to provide all of the electricity needed by my system, but it could reduce the load on more conventional methods like nuclear or solar.

 

Your third point is false. It would not need the same energy because up to 90% of the energy needed using conventional rockets is required to transport the unspent propellant. I suggest to you to send me a request for a NDS/NDA. Any critical evalution is welcome and needed, even if the conclusion is that the technology is false. If this is the case, to save me time and energy.

 

I never said that it would take very little amounts of energy, I just said that it would not be as much as a chemical rocket, but I guess comparatively, it would be very little.

 

CaptainPanic,

 

I am familiar with the technology that you linked, and the only similarity is that both uses electromagnets.

 

ALCON,

 

I know I am asking you to go out of your way to sign a NDS/NDA, but if this technology is feasible I do not want the intricacies to be public knowledge. After evaluating the mechanics, I would like you to repost back here and endorse it or discount it without disclosing specific knowldedge. By endorsing it, it will interest other professionals, and I would also ask permission to use that professional as a reference when writing my white paper, and by discounting, well the repercussions would be obvious.

 

I see where the error in the discription is. Most of the energy will be used to propel the payload and habitation instead of being used to propel the unspent propellant.

Edited September 26, 2013 by David Callahan

[Spyman]

David Callahan,

 

We have been asked to not discuss the feasibility of your invention in this thread, further more I am not a professional or an expert in this field and also not interested in a private conversation with you hidden from the other members.

 

However I think it is very important to first determine that the general working principle is theoretically possible before spending time and money on technical solutions and practical engineering challenges.

 

If you start a new thread to discuss the working principle, as CaptainPanic advised, then the knowledged and helpful people here can help you determine if it is theoretically feasible or not - and you can put a link to that discussion here to endorse your invention or possibly even use it in an application for funding.

 

You shouldn't have to unveil any technical details or include drawings of your invention in a discussion about a general working principle and can keep that part secret to protect your design until you get a patent filed.