Foe Hammer
15-12-2003, 02:56
How many of you use Fusion Engines in your nation's spacecrafts? *Loud chattering* Ok, and how many of you know what a Fusion Engine is? *Muttered noise* Finally, how many of you know how one works? *Silence* C'mon, it's alright. *Crickets* Go ahead, no one will think you're a geek... *More silence* Alrighty then. I'm here to explain the what, why and how of Fusion Engines.
Fusion engines are complicated, yet they run on the simplest materials. By simply combining tiny atoms, you can propel a massive craft through space. Let's start with what a Fusion Engine is.
Huh?
A Fusion Engine is basically a chamber in which protons and neutrons combine to create atoms of different substances, such as Deuterium, an isotope of Hydrogen, and all the way up to Helium-3, creating Gamma rays which release energy that can power your vessel. The final stage is Helium-4, whic releases a large amount of energetic force that is ejected as exhaust, pushing the ship along.
So, in lamen's terms, it's a bunch of little booms that work together to make a bunch of big booms.
How?
Still confused? Well, thank god for 3d Molecular Structuring programs.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/124725/0.jpg
Ooo. Pretty colors.
Now, let's say the blue dots represent protons, and the red represent neutrons. Put two protons together, and what do you get? (Please tell me you know this.) Deuterium, a simple Proton-neutron atom! Now, add in another proton, and you get Helium-3 a two-proton, one neutron atom, plus a Gamma ray, similar to an X-ray, except it's made of energy, which can be extracted and used to power whatever vessel you're operating. Now, combine two Helium-3's and you're up to Helium-4, the last stage. Combine the Helium-4 with two more protons, and you have the final reaction, creating enough exhaust to shoot out the back and propel your vessel.
Why?
There's a very simple reason to use Fusion Engines. The number one reason is it's a virtually clean power source. And second, a Fusion Drive Engine generates around 288 times more power than a standard Chemical Rocket Engine. Specific impulse refers to the units of thrust per the units of propellant consumed over time. A fusion drive could have a specific impulse about 300 times greater than conventional chemical rocket engines. A typical chemical rocket engine has a specific impulse of about 450 seconds, which means that the engine can produce 1 pound of thrust from 1 pound of fuel for 450 seconds. A fusion rocket could have an estimated specific impulse of 130,000 seconds. Additionally, fusion-powered rockets would use hydrogen as a propellant, which means it would be able to replenish itself as it travels through space. Hydrogen is present in the atmosphere of many planets, so all the spacecraft would have to do is dip down into the atmosphere and suck in some hydrogen to refuel itself.
Fusion can only occur in super-heated environments measuring in the millions of degrees. Stars, which are made of plasma, are the only natural objects that are hot enough to create fusion reactions. Plasma, often referred to as the fourth state of matter, is ionized gas made of atoms stripped of some electrons. Fusion reactions are responsible for creating 85 percent of the sun's energy.
The high level of heat required to create this type of plasma makes it impossible to contain the components in any known material. However, plasma is a good conductor of electricity, which makes it possible to be held, guided and accelerated using magnetic fields. So, in other words, if you don't want a bigass hole in the back of your ship, put the plasma in a magnetic field, such as a plasma power generator.
And if you STILL don't understand what a basic Fusion Drive System is after this whole post, I quit.
Fusion engines are complicated, yet they run on the simplest materials. By simply combining tiny atoms, you can propel a massive craft through space. Let's start with what a Fusion Engine is.
Huh?
A Fusion Engine is basically a chamber in which protons and neutrons combine to create atoms of different substances, such as Deuterium, an isotope of Hydrogen, and all the way up to Helium-3, creating Gamma rays which release energy that can power your vessel. The final stage is Helium-4, whic releases a large amount of energetic force that is ejected as exhaust, pushing the ship along.
So, in lamen's terms, it's a bunch of little booms that work together to make a bunch of big booms.
How?
Still confused? Well, thank god for 3d Molecular Structuring programs.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/124725/0.jpg
Ooo. Pretty colors.
Now, let's say the blue dots represent protons, and the red represent neutrons. Put two protons together, and what do you get? (Please tell me you know this.) Deuterium, a simple Proton-neutron atom! Now, add in another proton, and you get Helium-3 a two-proton, one neutron atom, plus a Gamma ray, similar to an X-ray, except it's made of energy, which can be extracted and used to power whatever vessel you're operating. Now, combine two Helium-3's and you're up to Helium-4, the last stage. Combine the Helium-4 with two more protons, and you have the final reaction, creating enough exhaust to shoot out the back and propel your vessel.
Why?
There's a very simple reason to use Fusion Engines. The number one reason is it's a virtually clean power source. And second, a Fusion Drive Engine generates around 288 times more power than a standard Chemical Rocket Engine. Specific impulse refers to the units of thrust per the units of propellant consumed over time. A fusion drive could have a specific impulse about 300 times greater than conventional chemical rocket engines. A typical chemical rocket engine has a specific impulse of about 450 seconds, which means that the engine can produce 1 pound of thrust from 1 pound of fuel for 450 seconds. A fusion rocket could have an estimated specific impulse of 130,000 seconds. Additionally, fusion-powered rockets would use hydrogen as a propellant, which means it would be able to replenish itself as it travels through space. Hydrogen is present in the atmosphere of many planets, so all the spacecraft would have to do is dip down into the atmosphere and suck in some hydrogen to refuel itself.
Fusion can only occur in super-heated environments measuring in the millions of degrees. Stars, which are made of plasma, are the only natural objects that are hot enough to create fusion reactions. Plasma, often referred to as the fourth state of matter, is ionized gas made of atoms stripped of some electrons. Fusion reactions are responsible for creating 85 percent of the sun's energy.
The high level of heat required to create this type of plasma makes it impossible to contain the components in any known material. However, plasma is a good conductor of electricity, which makes it possible to be held, guided and accelerated using magnetic fields. So, in other words, if you don't want a bigass hole in the back of your ship, put the plasma in a magnetic field, such as a plasma power generator.
And if you STILL don't understand what a basic Fusion Drive System is after this whole post, I quit.