Secondary fusion.

[Klaus Kipling]

This is for those who know physics beyond my trivial understanding.

The power plant fuses hydrogen to create power. This will produce helium. Is it then possible for the power plant (or even maneuver drive) to then fuse that helium for even more energy? And so on...?

 

[EDG]

This is for those who know physics beyond my trivial understanding.

The power plant fuses hydrogen to create power. This will produce helium. Is it then possible for the power plant (or even maneuver drive) to then fuse that helium for even more energy? And so on...?

Possible? Theoretically.

Practical? Not even remotely. You need to vastly ramp up the temperatures and pressures to be able to fuse helium, that's why it only happens in bigger stars. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but you'd have to go to a hell of a lot more effort to get more energy out than you're putting in. And if you're doing that, you may as well sod it and use antimatter instead.

 

[Vile]

Anyway, helium is very useful stuff. Sell it!

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Anyway, helium is very useful stuff. Sell it!

Breath it in and talk with a squeeky voice! :lol:

 

[klingsor]

Presumably helium is not a problem for high TL planets as you can skim it from gas giants. For low TL planets it might be a desirable import because of its safety advantage over hydrogen for airships.