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How Moon Gas Could Solve Climate Change

Started by jimmy olsen, November 14, 2015, 05:11:09 AM

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Tonitrus

Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 07:57:02 PM
And a more fundamental question: assuming you have no problem extracting the gas from the rocks (doubt it), and assuming you can economically transport it back to earth, is the technology to generate electricity from Helium 3 ready?

This is actually more of the key.

And the answer is: not even close.

/cue Timmah hysterical disagreement in 1...2...3...

Monoriu

So may I conclude that this is a pie in the sky, at least in our life times?

Razgovory

Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 16, 2015, 08:33:07 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 07:57:02 PM
How is the Helium 3 gas stored on the moon?  If it exists in the rocks, don't you have to process lots and lots of rocks to get it in the first place? 

And a more fundamental question: assuming you have no problem extracting the gas from the rocks (doubt it), and assuming you can economically transport it back to earth, is the technology to generate electricity from Helium 3 ready?

Yeah, it's stored in rocks.  You would need a fleet of mining vehicles scooping up the upper layer of soil and taking back to some sort of refinery to have it extracted.  Think hundreds of tons of moon rocks to get one ton of He-3.

So it is stored in the rocks.  The next questions are, how deep are these rocks, and how many tons of rocks need to be processed to get sufficient Helium?  Are we talking about surface rocks, or rocks many km beneath the surface?  Can we can a ton of helium 3 from several hundred tons of rocks?  Or several thousand tons?  Or tens of thousands of tons?

Not that deep.  Should be surface rocks and soil.  I took a look and was off by a factor or two.  Think 150 million tons of rock for one ton of Helium-3.  Will we see it in our life times?  Well, that really depends on how long you plan to live.   You should probably consider this "pie in the sky".
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017


Monoriu

I am not buying shares in the East Moon Trading Company. 


jimmy olsen

Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 16, 2015, 08:33:07 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 07:57:02 PM
How is the Helium 3 gas stored on the moon?  If it exists in the rocks, don't you have to process lots and lots of rocks to get it in the first place? 

And a more fundamental question: assuming you have no problem extracting the gas from the rocks (doubt it), and assuming you can economically transport it back to earth, is the technology to generate electricity from Helium 3 ready?

Yeah, it's stored in rocks.  You would need a fleet of mining vehicles scooping up the upper layer of soil and taking back to some sort of refinery to have it extracted.  Think hundreds of tons of moon rocks to get one ton of He-3.

So it is stored in the rocks.  The next questions are, how deep are these rocks, and how many tons of rocks need to be processed to get sufficient Helium?  Are we talking about surface rocks, or rocks many km beneath the surface?  Can we can a ton of helium 3 from several hundred tons of rocks?  Or several thousand tons?  Or tens of thousands of tons?

Surface rocks.
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

Razgovory

Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 10:22:36 PM
I am not buying shares in the East Moon Trading Company.

They be worth pennies now, but will be worth million a few hundred years!
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

The Brain

Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 16, 2015, 11:10:28 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 16, 2015, 08:33:07 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on November 16, 2015, 07:57:02 PM
How is the Helium 3 gas stored on the moon?  If it exists in the rocks, don't you have to process lots and lots of rocks to get it in the first place? 

And a more fundamental question: assuming you have no problem extracting the gas from the rocks (doubt it), and assuming you can economically transport it back to earth, is the technology to generate electricity from Helium 3 ready?

Yeah, it's stored in rocks.  You would need a fleet of mining vehicles scooping up the upper layer of soil and taking back to some sort of refinery to have it extracted.  Think hundreds of tons of moon rocks to get one ton of He-3.

So it is stored in the rocks.  The next questions are, how deep are these rocks, and how many tons of rocks need to be processed to get sufficient Helium?  Are we talking about surface rocks, or rocks many km beneath the surface?  Can we can a ton of helium 3 from several hundred tons of rocks?  Or several thousand tons?  Or tens of thousands of tons?

Surface rocks.

Fuck yeah. :punk:
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

KRonn

Time to start buying up some Moon real estate in expectation of future mining...   ;)

Syt

I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Eddie Teach

Judging from the falsetto, slow jams may be a better source of helium than rock anyway.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?