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Fusion impulse engine uses Dilithium Crystals.
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 8:51 pm
by Diogenes
This New Fusion Engine Will Cut The Travel Time To Mars Down To Six Weeks
Txchnologist, an online magazine sponsored by General Electric, talked to team member and aerospace engineering PH.D. candidate Ross Cortez, he said "The fusion fuel we're focusing on is deuterium [a stable isotope of hydrogen] and Li6 [a stable isotope of the metal lithium] in a crystal structure."
"That's basically dilithium crystals we're using," he said.
http://www.businessinsider.com/newest-f ... ls-2012-10
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:29 pm
by Stubby
Yeah saw that too.
But not proven to work any more than any other fusion engine.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:05 am
by Skipjack
Looks certainly interesting. With John Slough that makes now two quite different fusion propulsion concepts that we might see in the near future.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:07 am
by djolds1
Stubby wrote:Yeah saw that too.
But not proven to work any more than any other fusion engine.
As an engine, true.
But solid lithium-6-deuteride has a long track record of successful fusion.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:20 pm
by MSimon
What do they plan to use to run the accelerator? They WILL need electric power. And a fair amount of it.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:51 pm
by Enginerd
MSimon wrote:What do they plan to use to run the accelerator? They WILL need electric power. And a fair amount of it.
Apparently they plan on using a fission reactor.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:25 pm
by MSimon
Enginerd wrote:MSimon wrote:What do they plan to use to run the accelerator? They WILL need electric power. And a fair amount of it.
Apparently they plan on using a fission reactor.
Radiators will be a problem. Not to mention what they will be boiling.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:51 pm
by djolds1
MSimon wrote:What do they plan to use to run the accelerator? They WILL need electric power. And a fair amount of it.
Capture and recycle electricity along the lines proposed for Mini-Mag Orion or one of Friedwardt Winterberg's nuclear pulse propulsion concepts? The fusion reaction provides a lot to be tapped, once the initial pulse of energy is provided.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:59 pm
by Skipjack
Apparently they plan on using a fission reactor.
Yeah, that seems to be the biggest problem of the concept
