LightSaber Calculator

1
LightSaber Calculator

• From Brandon Adamo, and Jake Later

2
scenario
Our hero, Qui Gon Jinn, has just been attacked
and he wants to kick some butt! What is his plan?
Chase down the Viceroy of the Trade Federation
and make him pay. Problem, he has to get through
the blast doors to the bridge. Good thing he has
his trusty light saber to melt through the door.
But just how much energy would it take for him
to melt the blast doors? http//youtu.be/2OTHjSG61
SI?t5m57s
3
Assumptions

• The only mode of heat transfer considered is
  conduction
• Initial calculations were done assuming that the
  blast doors are made of a low carbon steel
• We recognize that if it takes long enough
  convection from the molten liquid metal and
  radiation could play a role. Seeing as none of
  the Jedi burst into flames or seem to die of
  cancer well assume that radiation is negligible.

4
Calculator
Dimensions of Light Saber Calculated Values
length of blade(m) 1.22 Surface area of lightsaber (m2) not counting ends 0.14602751
diameter(m) 0.0381 Volume of melted material 0.958185759
Energy necessary to melt 7.4007714E09
material properties(what's being melted) q(W) 6.7279740E08
heat of fusion (J/kg) 272000 q''(W/m2) 4.6073333E09
specific heat (cp) (J/kg) 490 Rconduction 0.029620427
melting point (C) 1425 Surface Temperature (C) 1.992997E07
conductive coefficient k (W/(mK)) 54
density (kg/m3) 8050 Fun fact for comparison
Temperature of the sun (5800K or 5527C)
heat flux of the sun 6.42e7J/m2
melted material geometry
diameter (m) 1 Assumptions Assumptions
time to melt (s) 11 melted material is initially at room temperature 22C melted material is initially at room temperature 22C
5
The first attempt to make a light saber ended
very poorly