Mark Goldes wrote: > Jones, > > As you know, the late Dr. Robert Carroll applied for a patent on fusion > close to Absolute Zero. We have a copy of the patent application. I'm > home for the weekend, but if memory serves it was filed during the 1960s. > > I'll dig it out next week.
For energy generation, a fusion process -- or any other method of generating heat -- which only works close to absolute zero is useless. It is identical in its effect to a leak in the (thermal) insulation, and a leak is a lot cheaper to operate than a fusion plant. If we lived somewhere out past Pluto's orbit, and room temperature were 0.1 degrees K, it would be a different story. But here on Earth, the temp at which a heat generating reaction operates must be on the order of 300 K or warmer, or it can't be used to generate energy. If it emits large numbers of charged particles and so can be used to make electricity directly it's another story. But if it just generates heat, and it only works when cold, forget it.
