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Fusion Using Sonic Compression
The Only Druid writes "Scientists have confirmed the use of sonic waves to create the necessary compression in plasma to achieve nuclear fusion, far more effectively and cheaply than any other method. Val Kilmer was unavailable for comment."
Worked on this project for a bit. Yes, it does release more energy that it takes to start -- in theory. In the lab, you need about 100 watts of power to get a few milliwatts of heat. Bear in mind that this technology is in its infancy and may scale upward to the net-gain level. BUT due to temperature constraints in the apparatus (it likes cold), it will be difficult to get this up to power-generation level.
- Jim
#include "humorous_pop_culture_reference.h"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120053/
As a young orphan, a boy[Val Kilmer] refuses to accept the name given him by priests and instead chooses to take on the name of Simon Templar after the Saint of magic. Speed ahead and the young boy is now a master thief in bidding wars with countries for his services. Using his skills of master disguise, he eludes all pursuers as he assumes names associated with the various Saints. In this role after stealing from a Russian industrialist, the industrialist hires The Saint to steal a formula for cold fusion being developed by a young female scientist. Cold fusion is said to permit a nation to heat its citizens with only a few gallons of water. However, on this case The Saint falls in love with the scientist placing him in a quandary of fulfilling his professional obligations or staying with the innocent young scientist. When she becomes threatened by the Russian Mafia, he has no choice but to go ahead with his job. However, she follows him to Moscow, setting off a chase across the City and through their sewers.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
What you say is true, but less true is deep space. Out beyond Jupiter or so, there is very little energy available. Everything is very low temperature, and radiation cooling very quickly gets you to extremely cold temperatures (40 K is reasonable, as I remember).
Something like this could work as a Mr. Fusion for deep space probes - it sounds like a perfect match. Deep Space probes typically don't even need that much power!
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