OT: fusion is getting SOOOO close -> then comes fusion engines!!! ::P muhuhahah(no j

[Cyrien]

The problem with that is we can actually say when Fusion will become available. Heck ITER just formalised the location for their first energy producing fusion power plant. Within the next decade or two you will see fusion being used.

Unified Theory however is still just theory. They can't even prove that it is unified yet let alone work it to do anything. IF it proves true then you are probably right. That MIGHT make a better engine. But quite simply we can't tell anything about it atm. How efficient will the conVersions be? Theory might say 100% but how will that work out in reality? Cost effectiveness for such an engine?

For unified theory there are tons of questions that have no answers right now. Given enough time and assuming that the theory pans out they could indeed be the engines of the future.

Given what is available now and what is known now and what will work now I would have to make an argument for fission and fusion engines over any theoretically possible one using Unified Energy Theory.

Edit: And you would still have to generate the initial energy you are converting into another... Fusion anyone?

[ December 04, 2003, 15:14: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

does gravity have waves?

[Parasite]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
does gravity have waves?

Probably, but they have not been detected (proven) yet.

[Alpha Kodiak]

I just want to put Mr. Fusion on the back of my Delorean to power the flux capacitor. Is that asking so much?

[Cyrien]

Yes.

Mr. Fission is the king of miniaturization.
You can probably make incredibly small fission reactors that would work and produce energy. So long as you have a way to get rid of the waste products that is.

Mr. Fusion is the king of make it big. I doubt you could ever make a stable energy yielding fusion reaction that would fit in a car.

Let's not mention the flux capacitor and the probability of time travel.

[ December 04, 2003, 19:08: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

[ToddT]

Hmm Mr fusion may not be practical but, there is a table top device that can do small scale fusion reactions, it s for research applications. Unfortunately I don't remember all the details of the article.

As for the Unified theory, they have combined and confirmed in the lab the equations for Electromagnetism and the Weak Nuclear force a few years back. a detail that was mentioned recently on progress of some other research.

HE3 all I can really remember on that is that it solved some problems dealing with plasma densities required for reactions and such.

Their are several fusion reactor designs, funny thing is some are not actually new, just that computing technology has reached a point where the calculations required are now possible. Read about that in "Computing in Science and Engineering". Reactor design was referred to as a stellarator proposed back in the 50's.

As for fusion propulsion, I can't remember what the design was called but a reactor Soviet era design had some deficient that actually lent itself to propulsive use. The containment fields were weak at the ends, not desirable for a power reactor but if your looking for thrust.......

[Phoenix-D]

Hmm Mr fusion may not be practical but, there is a table top device that can do small scale fusion reactions, it s for research applications. Unfortunately I don't remember all the details of the article."

Yes, you can. Unfortunately there's a bit of a detail you missed..it takes more energy than it produces!