Author Topic: Helium-3: Solution to world energy crisis?  (Read 1204 times)

Danecookie

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Helium-3: Solution to world energy crisis?
« on: November 30, 2005, 09:32:50 pm »
"A potential gas source found on the moon's surface could hold the key to meeting future energy demands as the earth's fossil fuels dry up in the coming decades, scientists say..."

Rest of the story here : newbielink:http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1252715.htm [nonactive]

mutex

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Re: Helium-3: Solution to world energy crisis?
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2005, 09:37:06 pm »
There's only one small problem with that plan, and that's that the moon is a little farther away than a pipeline will reach :)

Leritzi

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Re: Helium-3: Solution to world energy crisis?
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2005, 05:53:18 am »
There's only one small problem with that plan, and that's that the moon is a little farther away than a pipeline will reach :)

This is a quote from the story::
"Just 25 tonnes of helium, which can be transported on a space shuttle, is enough to provide electricity for the US for one full year."

mutex

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Re: Helium-3: Solution to world energy crisis?
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2005, 08:03:36 am »
How much exactly would be left of the 25T when the shuttle got back?  Probably not a lot.  Then there's also the trivial problem of controlled, sustainable, energy positive fusion not being possible yet.  I believe if someone were to come up with a process to for fusion, that there is enough H3 in the oceans to keep us going for a while.  I'm not certain how much, but I have to imagine that would be more economical  than transporting a leaky cargo of hydrogen back from the moon.