Moon & Helium 3

Palomar · 2004-11-26 11:25:49

http://www.spacedaily.com/2004/04112608 … html]Click

*Interesting. I checked Search to see if this article or a similar one has been posted already/previously; no results.

Yeah, I think we'd better start looking head. Or start taking SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles off the road.

One of the persons quoted in the article says humanity needs to look ahead. I couldn't agree more, but if past behavior is indicative of future behavior...

--Cindy

Cobra Commander · 2004-11-26 12:08:49

The problem is that there is not yet an efficient type of reactor to process helium 3. It is currently being done mostly as a laboratory experiment. Right now at the rate which it (research) is proceeding it will take another 30 years,"

I knew it would be in there somewhere. :laugh:

John Creighton · 2004-11-26 12:13:25

To extract helium 3 gas the rocks have to be heated above 1,400 degs Fdegs C). Some 200 million tonnes of lunar soil would produce one tonne of helium, Taylor said, noting that only 10 kilos of helium are available on earth.

"The moon contains 10 times more energy in the form of Helium 3 than all the fossil fuels on the earth," Kalam said.

I always thought this stuff was a pipe dream but that is alot of energy.

Euler · 2004-11-26 15:07:50

I don't think that mining Helium3 on the moon will be very practical. It is more difficult produce energy with the deuterium-helium3 fusion reaction than it is with the deuterium-tritium reaction, so I think that it will still be a long time before we have practical dueterium-helium3 reactors. By the time that deuterium-helium3 is ready, deuterium-deuterium should be close to becoming practical, and that will make helium mining obsolete.

John Creighton · 2004-11-26 15:53:06

It is more difficult produce energy with the deuterium-helium3 fusion reaction than it is with the deuterium-tritium reaction.

Is the one the French and Japanese where arguing over where to build it deuterium-tritium.

Grypd · 2004-11-26 16:37:33

Deutrium-Helium3 requires a lot more heat and magnetic containment than the fusion Deutrium-Tritium reaction.

We will develop a helium3 fusion reactor though for some real concrete reasons even with the main fuel source being of extra terrestrial origin. Helium-Tritium reactions are the easiest fusion reaction we can create, but to generate power we must use its neutrons to heat up water and so generate steam which goes through turbines so generating power. But the Deutrium-Tritium reaction and those neutrons result in the shielding and water to become radioactive and this is extremely difficult to deal with. One advantage and disadvantage is that the reaction will cause the water to become tritium which can be used later in the reaction. But Tritium is a major component in the creation of Hydrogen bombs so any fusion user can get a real leg up in the creation of such weapons.

Deutrium-Helium3 reactors though still midly reactive from stry D-D reactions will generate power by the amount of charged particles they make. This can be drawn of directly so providing power and the D-He3 reactors will benefit from reasonable low maintenance costs. The Moon is not the only source of He3 the gas giants hold enough to run our civilisation for Millenia.

We will start using Deutrium and Tritium reactors but for fusion to be universally used by the world and to reduce the radioactive waste and to put real security in place. We will swap to Deutrium-Helium3 as soon as is practicle. And these will provide power to the general world, not just the developed world.

We can get helium3 in usable quantities from the Moon it will be enough to develop and get the technology working. After that we need the Gas giants to provide the resources to completely replace Nuclear and severely dent fossil fuel power generation across the world.

Euler · 2004-11-27 00:36:20

It would be extremely expensive to mine He3 on the moon as it only makes up 1 part per 200 million in lunar soil. Since Deuterium is much more common and easier to get, it will probably end up being more economical just to make He3 through D-D fusion than it will be to mine it.

BWhite · 2004-11-27 09:45:22

The problem is that there is not yet an efficient type of reactor to process helium 3. It is currently being done mostly as a laboratory experiment. Right now at the rate which it (research) is proceeding it will take another 30 years,"
I knew it would be in there somewhere. :laugh:

Haven't they been saying 30 more years for the past 50?

John Creighton · 2004-11-27 11:38:36

Haven't they been saying 30 more years for the past 50?

About fusion not about a specific kind of fusion. They are going to build a fusion generator shortly. Anyway I am sure it will happen much faster if money is poured into it. Especially with a better understanding of other fusion process.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-29 07:14:40

Yup this item has been discussed under several threads but most conclude that until there is a need it will only be just research into using it for future energy concepts. Mining it for profit just is not in the cards.

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#1 2004-11-26 11:25:49

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#2 2004-11-26 12:08:49

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#3 2004-11-26 12:13:25

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#4 2004-11-26 15:07:50

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#5 2004-11-26 15:53:06

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#6 2004-11-26 16:37:33

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#7 2004-11-27 00:36:20

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#8 2004-11-27 09:45:22

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#9 2004-11-27 11:38:36

Re: Moon & Helium 3

#10 2004-11-29 07:14:40

Re: Moon & Helium 3

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