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Science Fiction Energy Sources |
gg14155
2nd Rear Admiral
Joined: November 11, 2011
Posts: 13
|  Posted: 2012-10-24 22:35
I know of fusion reactors. They are one of the main components in sci-fi novels, tv, games, etc. that allow civilizations to advance significantly in technology. The breakthrough in fusion tech usually precedes FTL capabilities and such.
What would come after? What are some energy sources that are more technologically advanced than a fusion reactor. Here on Darkspace we have quantum and variance generators, but what exactly are they and what do they do?
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Pantheon
Marshal
Palestar
Joined: May 29, 2001
Posts: 1789
| Posted: 2012-10-24 23:28
Nothing comes after.
The engines (stars) that drive the universe are powered through nuclear fusion (not to be mistaken for nuclear fission). It is the greatest source of power generation that we know of, and it scales infinitely well (just look at stars for an example).
Quantum and Variance generators are just better nuclear fusion plants.
To put it into context : if we cracked sustainable nuclear fission tomorrow, we'd be outputting far more energy than the entire planet could use within a decade.
Since we already stick extremely small nuclear fission reactors on space ships today, you can imagine what sticking a nuclear fusion reactor on a ship would do. There's nothing, even in the DarkSpace universe, that would require more power than nuclear fusion could provide.
[ This Message was edited by: Pantheon on 2012-10-24 23:35 ]
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Talien
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: May 11, 2010
Posts: 2044
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2012-10-25 00:55
Matter-Anti Matter reactors would come next.
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SpaceAdmiral
Grand Admiral
Joined: May 05, 2010
Posts: 1005
| Posted: 2012-10-25 05:02
Quote:
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On 2012-10-25 00:55, Talien wrote:
Matter-Anti Matter reactors would come next.
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Yes, but it is extremely unlikely as anti-matter has to be created, and creation of said anti-matter will likely use more than it can provide. Fusion is a chain reaction that we can actually start, it's just we currently can't apply the massive energy that comes out.
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Flux Capacitor
Marshal
Joined: July 30, 2010
Posts: 305
From: the place
| Posted: 2012-10-25 06:57
the next step i think, would be to open a wormhole, and then when it tries to collapse use the gravitational energy of the collapsing wormhole, thats a huge force to tap from.
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Whiterin
Fleet Admiral
Joined: November 15, 2007
Posts: 146
| Posted: 2012-10-25 07:43
Harnessing of:
- Vacuum/Zero Point Energy
- Black hole/Quantum Singularity
Who knows what else is out there to be discovered.
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2012-10-25 08:12
Quantum singularity generators?
Hyperspace taps? Which taps into the tidal forces of hyperspace.
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Walrus of Apathy
Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 07, 2005
Posts: 466
From: Dorans Basement
| Posted: 2012-10-25 09:32
If only we could tap into human awkwardness as a viable energy source, then I'd be the most powerful entity in the universe.
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Talien
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: May 11, 2010
Posts: 2044
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2012-10-25 10:22
Quote:
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On 2012-10-25 05:02, SpaceAdmiral wrote:
Yes, but it is extremely unlikely as anti-matter has to be created, and creation of said anti-matter will likely use more than it can provide. Fusion is a chain reaction that we can actually start, it's just we currently can't apply the massive energy that comes out.
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In reality that's true, it's extremely unlikely, but he said sci fi and many sci fi settings use antimatter as a form of energy.
Now that I'm thinking about it, luth use microscopic amounts of antimatter as a weapon. I say microscopic because if AM torps had any sizeable amount of it they'd be 1 shot kills on pretty much anything including planets. And then there's the AMJD and AME.
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2012-10-25 10:47
Quote:
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On 2012-10-25 09:32, Walrus of Apathy wrote:
If only we could tap into human awkwardness as a viable energy source, then I'd be the most powerful entity in the universe.
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DS ships could have a QQ generator that runs off their crew and pilots. They seem to work better in ICC space.
[ This Message was edited by: Kenny_Naboo[+R] on 2012-10-25 10:48 ]
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Eledore Massis [R33]
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: May 26, 2002
Posts: 2695
From: tsohlacoLocalhost
| Posted: 2012-10-25 11:11
Quote:
| On 2012-10-24 23:28, Pantheon wrote:
Since we already stick extremely small nuclear fission reactors on space ships today, |
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I love it when people think a atomic battery is a 'Reactor'.
At the moment there is only Known launches of a nuclear reactor was theUS SNAP-10A and the USSR US-A program (Nato:RORSAT) using the ENISY and BES-5 reactors. (Soviets launched over 35 of them)
All the others (TOPAZ, RHU & RTG's) are not to be considered a reactor but use safer methodes or real reactor byproducts to deliver enough electricity for there missions.
Even the Mars missions like the lander uses the 'MMRTG' a RTG power provider.
While in the future we might again see real reactors being launched. most likely as experements for propultion. it is unlikely to see a real reactor up there for just power generation. If we want power we most likely use a RTG for safety.
O and for future energy. I can only think of three things:
Anti-Matter
Singularity
Quark power¿
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Fattierob
Vice Admiral
Joined: April 25, 2003
Posts: 4059
| Posted: 2012-10-25 11:20
I was thinking about splitting up Reactors at one point (UGTO and K'luth use the same ones) and naming the K'luth one "PSI batteries" or something. Maybe some kind of 12Vdc joke in the description as well
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P2.
Marshal
*Renegade Space Marines*
Joined: December 08, 2005
Posts: 140
From: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| Posted: 2012-10-25 12:44
I need equip my ships with ZPMs modules.
Someone sell ?
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gg14155
2nd Rear Admiral
Joined: November 11, 2011
Posts: 13
| Posted: 2012-10-25 18:49
I did quite a bit of studying today in my classes on nuclear fusion.
The reactors we are trying to develop today when come into use around 2050.
From what im seeing they are going to be very similar to nuclear fission reactors, which kind of disapointed me. They wont produce a great deal more power than fission reactors, and they're still very dangerous as far as radiation. Than main commercial reason for creating a fusion reactor is that the half life of its radiation is 50-300 years while its counterpart has a whopping radiation halflife of over 1000 years. Also, the fuel that will be used in fuison reactors is much more readily available, and has 60 million years of useage.
There will be an increase in power output simply because more fusion reactors can be built than nuclear fission.
Now thats just what i read.
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Blackjack [DBL]
Grand Admiral
Faster than Light
Joined: February 25, 2011
Posts: 344
From: The land of venomous reptiles.
| Posted: 2012-10-26 05:39
To the above. Yes the early ones would likely be rather inefficient, but as we get more familiar with the technology we could get more power with less risk. The main energy chewer in a fusion reactor I can think of is the enormous electromagnetic torus required to stop the plasma from destroying the reactor and the surroundings. If we can find a way to require less energy to keep the plasma in, reactor efficiency would go up, possibly something like if we ever get around to making a practical superconductor. (though I'm not an expert on this sort of thing)
[ This Message was edited by: Blackjack [DBL] on 2012-10-26 05:41 ]
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