I guess add this to the list. http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-12/machine-might-save-world Nothing new but I like simple and this is that.
... i dont know much of that part of chemical physics, butt .... isnt it a little odd project ? ?? ...
They hawent really sepecified the proces as the reactants in that article ... as much as im concerned ... how do they want to propulse the more than 180 celsius hot lithium so fast, that its kinetic energy makes in an ball-shaped space a "huricane-eye" , thats one of the things. Would like to know its El.-mag. field properities, as its a kind of our Earths-core basis ... seems that the forcefield would be like an circle-magnet type, that would make some one sided acceleration in the middle, still, dont know if they suceed to do it in the way of the Ionized-gas stream and how it will compensate its possible recharge...
The other problem is, its an enter-type reactor, that after the fusion has to be shutt,, refit its volume (He-outflow + other products elimination|, lithium acelerated and "shoot" again, making energy just this moment of the fusion-blast. It has to make A LOT of energy to cower that expences ... not to mention, that they want not to use the energy at place, but physically drain the hot liquid from the core to a heat-exchanger as seems to me by a tube ?? ...
... the third is the construction itself, , its a fusion itself, i know, that an ionized gas of small wolumes normally needs some el.-mag. energy to be held in wanted volumes relative to its own charge (the way they will force it to flow to the core| butt, after the fusion, helium will take some greater volume, specially in higher temparature ... and pressure, that will be, in the moment, created .... in an effective mass of being eletricity capable (generate enough heat, that will force a lot of cubic meters of water vaporize to kick the generator|, isnt it a little bit much pressure to be held ? ... in a way, the only way to make it controlable is the mass of reactants introducet in the first place. If somethngs happens to introduce more, the construction would be damaged and neded an complete change ... at the same time, the fact that it will presurry-pulse will make the core construction go for some limited lifetime anyway (Ether by the pistons, or the aftermath of the fusion|... So the construction to be long-live has to have an werry strong hull (a thick one that means for the 3m diameter core and the forces for it| ... not to mention the fact, that the kinetic energy of the rotating liquid will most likely "eat" some of the piston energy as for their actual state + gravity making an bunch of problems at creating the rotational liquid, the actuall large-scale deformation of the space for the reaction gas valve (the water no matter the piston-force will be colappsing the "eye" sooner at the bottom than at the tom - neded to give some more punch to the higher pistons - making another structural stress to the core construction| and the fact, that the itlets of the ionized gas has to be open/closed in a fast way, still be constructed to whytestand the pressure comming ...
A lot of these problems comes from the fact, that its not an flow-proces, making a need of several of such cores working in timeline so the heat-production will not be repeatedly interrupted by the cores needs to start it all over again (like postons of a car to make an constant energy outcome|.
... so ... what the hell ? .. its not an "bad" idea, butt it lacks some thinking in making it a little bit of "less-force-needed" or ecofreandly in an energetic angle ... and in my opinion, it would really be like an car engine ... whyte an reality-effectiweness of a portion to the unneeded heat going around, butt in this case in a form of lots of work to make another shot ... : / ... making an fosil mowement engine on limited oil-reserves to an water heat engine on abundant water resources of our planet ... I was writting about he little factor of a bad recycle-posability of He to H2 ... its an really low amount, but in this kind of construction, it really makes me to think as another future problem : /
Actually the only "simple thing" on it is the fact, that it doest need so much pressure and temparature like the fusion-solution planed to be finished around 2050 (so by a el.-mag. defect, helded sunlike matter wouldnt make a mess of anything around till it drops its temparature| ... otherwise, its a pain in the ass, as the fact that the forgig of the core hull will need a lot of efforts, not to mention it costs, when it would be needed to be changed after damaging and life-expiration ...
Guessing, thats the reason for the undertitel: that's a big, fat "might"
