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

[Cyrien]

Actually I would expect a number of different reactor designs to become prevalent in the future for fusion. Each planet or section of space would likely have different designs based on the most abundant fuel for a fusion reaction. On the Earth sea water. The moon HE-3. Europa water again other outer moons maybe ram scoops collecting massive amounts of Hydrogen from neighboring gas giants. Some other locations... depends on what they have.

Edit: And don't forget that even with a .5c engine it would likely take longer than 50 years. First you have to accelerate to .5c and at some point you will have to decelerate unless you want to hit some large solid body or even not so solid body at 1/2 the speed of light.

Those two considerations add a nice solid chunk of time to any transit to another star.

[ December 02, 2003, 22:29: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

[Unknown_Enemy]

I don't think fusion is going to bring on a new sort of engines. I think Energy Unification theory will.
That means, physicians think all energy are linked. If you are able to understand the way it works, then you can alter one energy into another.

For instance, you could creat a magnetic wave and transform it into gravity wave.

does gravitic engine rings a bell ?

[ December 04, 2003, 12:21: Message edited by: Unknown_Enemy ]

[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 ]