Asteroid mining systems facilitated by cosmic ray and muon-catalyzed fusion
OwnerJerome Drexlerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cosmic ray and muon-catalyzed micro-fusion electrical generation provides electrical power for mining operations, including any asteroid habitats and mining equipment. The micro-fusion generator systems deploy deuterium-containing fuel material as a localized cloud interacting with incoming ambient cosmic rays to generate energetic fusion products. Dust or other particulate matter in the fuel material, in the localized cloud, and in the space surrounding the asteroid being mined converts some cosmic rays into muons that also catalyze fusion. The fusion products drive turbines to facilitate the electrical generation.
Claims15
A micro-fusion-driven turbine generator for producing electricity in the presence of ambient flux of cosmic rays and muons, comprising:
- a source of deuterium-containing micro-fusion particle fuel material disposed on an asteroid surface;
- a reaction volume directed upward from the asteroid surface;
- a flue coupled to the source and reaction volume for dispersing fuel material into the reaction volume;
- a set of helium-wind turbines arranged around the reaction volume, wherein cosmic rays and muons entering the volume from above interact with the dispersed fuel material to cause nuclear micro-fusion events, kinetic-energy containing micro-fusion products driving the helium-wind turbines;
- and
- a set of electrical generators coupled to the respective helium-wind turbines to convert mechanical motion of the driven turbines into electricity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.