HARD CURRENCY ENERGY- how the thermal energy of the active core can be converted in electric energy in an economical way?
I don't think that's going to (or needs to) happen any time soon --- it only delivers 500C (limited by the nickel powder degrading?) at 50 bar.
Electrical conversion efficiency at that level is less than 20% (??) -- times the 6x factor is barely over unity.
I'm probably too conservative there. 40% ? 60% ?
(Way out of my expertise, anyway.)
But the working fluid doesn't have to be water.
I'm not sure that a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_vapour_turbine would get approval for domestic use, though !!!!
