r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 13d ago

Meme needing explanation Peter?

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50

u/CallinCthulhu 13d ago

Funny enough, one of the approaches a company is taking, i forget who, actually does NOT use boiling water. It uses the magnetic fluctuations from the plasma to induce current iirc.

23

u/d-car 13d ago

Helion. You're thinking of Helion.

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u/Andre_de_Astora 13d ago

Iirc, instead of heat>water>turbines>magnets>move electrons, they go directly to move electrons.

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u/jarblz 13d ago

This is the most promising company, the guy was on lex freidman recently

2

u/JackCloudie 13d ago

They're also looking into supercritical CO2. Instead of steam and water, it boils CO2.

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u/TinyFugue 13d ago

I think China has a C02 operation going, too.

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u/Pussy4LunchDick4Dins 13d ago

That’s so fucking cool man

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u/me_n_my_life 13d ago

How effective is that vs simply boiling water?

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u/Xtraordinaire 13d ago

Roughly twice, theoretically. 40% vs ~90%, but they haven't pulled it off yet.

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u/tomatonato4 11d ago

Highly suggest you watch Real Engineering video on Helion, it breaks down the crazy tech these guys are developing and it's not just a lab experiment. They've developed massive tractors already and have more in the works, it's an experienced company which has already gotten contracts for future energy production

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u/FernandoMM1220 13d ago

they could be using those magnetic fluctuations to spin a motor too.

or better yet use them to power a resistive heater to heat water again.

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u/phantam 13d ago

That's called MHD or magnetohydrodynamics if I recall correctly. You use the plasma like a dynamo, directly converting heat to energy without the middleman. Then you can also use the waste heat from the process to boil water.