The evolution of insect swarms from XNUMX million years ago

Chapter 264 The Age of Fusion (2)

The Ezki's nuclear fusion engine uses deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen, also known as heavy hydrogen. Compared with fission fuels such as uranium, the quantity is large and almost inexhaustible.

Now, sufficient amounts of deuterium and tritium have been collected and stored in several large bladder-like structures, waiting for the final ignition of the fusion reactor - but this process is not that easy.

The electrons in an atom repulse each other, making it impossible for two nuclei to come into contact under normal circumstances. Only through some special means can the nuclei of atoms be combined.

In order to complete the fusion reaction, the temperature needs to be heated to an astonishingly high temperature. In uncontrollable fusion, such as hydrogen bombs, the solution is very simple. First, light an atomic bomb and use the instantaneous high temperature generated by the nuclear fission reaction to stimulate the fusion reaction. .

But in controlled nuclear fusion, this solution is not feasible. At present, the reliable solution is to use high-energy laser to ignite and stimulate the nuclear fusion reaction of the reacting material group.

In terms of lasers, Lin Yi had no clue at all, but fortunately, the weapons-grade high-energy laser on the Ezki battleship was also reverse-engineered by Lin Yi. The power was definitely sufficient, and even a little excessive.

At this time, the high-energy laser component is ready and begins to heat the deuterium-tritium cluster in the tokamak device, allowing it to heat up to a high-temperature plasma state.

As the speed increases, the atomic nuclei begin to overcome the repulsive force of the outer ring electrons and collide, generating helium nuclei and neutrons, and releasing energy at the same time.

Once the initial ignition is completed, all that remains is to continue to input reactants into the reactor and expel the generated helium and neutrons to continue fusion - the temperature inside the fusion reactor will be maintained at an extremely high temperature. temperature to continue fusion of atomic nuclei.

A steady stream of energy will be released in this way, just like an artificial miniature star. And now, the nuclear fusion reactor belonging to the nest group is about to ignite for the first time.

A large number of electric plate column power generation organs start to operate, converting the stored chemical energy into electrical energy, and transmit it to the laser through the biological superconducting neural structure, converting it into light energy and heat energy concentrated on a point.

The reaction mass gradually heated up and turned into a plasma that seemed to be burning. The collision of atomic nuclei begins to react and gradually releases energy, further increasing the temperature in the reactor to maintain the fusion reaction.

The process is like burning a fire in a furnace. A small spark ignites part of the fuel, and the heat generated by the combustion further ignites the rest of the fuel, making the fire burn more and more vigorously.

And this process is another difficulty - if there is no time to accumulate a high enough temperature during this process, the fusion reaction will not be sustainable, which is equivalent to Mars extinguishing before it has time to ignite other fuels, and the fire will not burn.

In later generations of fusion reactors, one part is stuck in the energy source of the tokamak device, and the other part is stuck here. The temperature cannot meet the demand, and the fusion reaction cannot be sustained. It can only burn for a short time and then burn out.

And now is the moment to test the reliability of Lin Yi's biological reactor - time passes slowly, and the fusion reaction does not stop, but continues to burn fiercely, which means that the nest group has completely separated from fission energy and entered the fusion era. The thermal energy synthesis system composed of the thermophilic cell array and the cooling circulation system began to operate in a familiar manner, converting thermal energy into chemical energy that can be utilized by living organisms. Immediately, the electroplate column structure began to continue operating, supplying the tokamak device, completing the closed loop.

The nearby fission reactor gradually reduces its output, testing the output power of the fusion reactor - a complete fusion reactor, even if most of the energy output is supplied to the tokamak device that maintains its own operation, can produce more energy than fission. high.

The next step is to test the fusion reactor's ability to serve as a power source for the spacecraft - the by-product of fusion, namely helium, is expelled in the form of high-temperature plasma, which is a natural propulsion medium.

It has both high specific impulse and moderate thrust, making it more suitable for long-distance interstellar navigation than electric rocket engines and atomic rocket engines. Just need to slightly improve the nozzle structure.

The specific structure is somewhat inconvenient to implement within the planet, but this is not a problem. A biological spacecraft based on the existing space biological platform to test the fusion reactor has completed most of the design and can be tested only after the fusion reactor is completed.

On the surface of Mars, the long-dormant large-scale electromagnetic acceleration orbit began to operate. A large amount of nutrients were simply and crudely pushed into space, and began to assemble and pupate on the Mars orbit.

The experimental space creature does not have weapons installed. The remaining space is equipped with a huge main nuclear fusion reactor and a ring of auxiliary nuclear fission reactors, using hybrid power to avoid accidents.

All reactors share a working fluid storage structure as a last resort in case of emergency. Since there are no weapons and supporting power generation systems, the positions of the working medium storage structure and the fission reactor were moved forward, and the fusion reactor was installed directly on the stern of the ship and connected to the nozzle at the end.

The shape and structure of the nozzle directly copied the Ezki battleship, allowing the helium and neutrons discharged in a high-temperature plasma state to provide thrust with extremely high specific impulse. At the same time, the liquid working fluid in the working fluid storage system can also be heated by the high temperature of the fusion reactor, which is superior to fission, and ejected backward.

The working fluid is naturally deuterium and tritium, two hydrogen isotopes used as fusion fuel. They can be used in fusion reactors and can also be used as traditional propulsion working fluids, which are heated and ejected backwards.

In other respects, this experimental hybrid space creature has not undergone many changes. For the utilization of heat energy, the technological level of the nest group is higher than that of the Ezki people. Therefore, the fusion reactor produces less waste heat that cannot be used than the Ezki battleship, and the heat sink structure can be reduced.

The hybrid space creature was soon assembled in Mars orbit, and testing officially began - once successful, its significance will be no less significant than the transition from "yellow water" to "blue water" in later navies.

The existence form of the nest group determines that even if there is no subsequent hyperlight engine, the exponential increase in the utilization rate of working fluid brought by nuclear fusion will allow the nest group to have the ability to cross between star systems.

Although due to the long distance between celestial bodies, this time will be measured in thousands of years, after all, this will mean that the nest group will no longer be limited to this one-third of the solar system, but can be in the wider space of the universe. Make a difference.

(End of this chapter)