Iron Man's Arc Reactor Technology

marvin_NIFB

The Marvel Avenger's Movie is coming out in a month's time.
While many superheroes like the Hulk and Spiderman require much more biological research to come true, superheroes like Iron Man, Batman, Black Widow rely on engineering technology.

Which of our current-day technology has the potential to make Tony Stark a reality?
Tony Stark's Arc Reactor is controversial. Proponents of fusion will say that it looks like a torus shaped miniatured fusion reactor which plasma glowing out.
But why then does the Arc Reactor run on Palladium, a radioactive element?

To make a reactor that gives high power output (e.g. 3 GigaJoules/second in the movie), and yet can fit into a circle 8cm in diameter, we need to miniaturise a fission reactor to the size of a human palm. How is this possible?

By combining the high power output of fission and small size & direct electricity conversion of betavoltaics, a device approximating the capabilities of the Iron Man's power source might so far from the future after all.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neutr...03421593001878
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-number?...pp=GB1121875.7
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publica...nalNumber=6410

marvin_NIFB

Attached Files

p-find-publication-getPDF.pdf (713.9 KB, 28 views)

marvin_NIFB

I haven't figured out the cooling system yet. Could someone suggest a cooling system that doesn't take up too much space?

Conventional fission reactors use water for cooling, and the pumps are very large.

marvin_NIFB

Poster:

conan69

i suppose is depends on the use for this design. if it was for an actual iron man suit a water cooling system that pumps it around the body close to the surface of the suit with heat sinks that allow the heat to escape from a large surface area and the air passing over it while flying will help cool it ( i have no idea if that would work but it seams plausible) however for a static object that is also small maybe surround the reactor in a reversible reaction. the heat from the reactor would cause the reaction to be mostly endothermic to resist the change and the reaction will keep going when in a sealed environment. (once again i have no idea if this will work i am no physicist but it kind of makes sense). good luck i hope it works for you

Bignose

Not all nuclear reactors are cooled by water, some are cooled by molten lead, sodium, and perhaps salt (that may just be proposed). Obviously there far denser then water and can therefor absorb more heat. I imagine molten copper, gold, or silver would be even better because of there conductive properties, but obviously just too expensive. Perhaps something incredibly dense like you would find in the hypothesized Island of stability.

mheslep

Got to have the Palladium, otherwise no go.

conan69

that makes sense would you melt the metal first and pour it in or let the heat from the reactor melt it inside the housing?

Bignose

I think the point is to let it melt inside the reactor giving you the benefit of when go into shut down the solidification helps slow the reaction. It is especially important with something like sodium metal as sodium reacts violently when exposed to air or water.

conan69

fair enough that sounds like it could work. would a reversible reaction be good for cooling anything or wouldnt my idea work?

conan69

also what about mercury?

Bignose

I don't really know, I think when your talking about having a tokamak the size donut installed in your chest all bets are off.

QuantumPion

Most isotopes of mercury have sizable resonance absorption peaks so it would not make for a good primary coolant. And due to its density it would require a lot of energy to pump.

mheslep

Well that's part of the trick isn't it? Here are the cooling towers for a ~5GW (thermal)/ 2GW electric power plant, so some 3GW of heat must be removed here.

Those towers are typically 200M high, 100M diameter. In addition they need a large water source like a large river or lake. If the builders of this power plant were enabled by the physics of heat removal to reduce the size of the cooling apparatus to the size you suggest no doubt it would have been done.

conan69

bringing this back to iron man a bit what do you think gives his suit propulsion and allows him to shoot? in the film it looks like light or energy but i dont think either would work and i dont see a massive tank of gas anywhere he could be burning :D. could the beta particles in the design above be shot out for thrust?

russ_watters

Moving to science fiction.....you do understand this is science fiction, right conan....?

Darwin123

Paladium is not used in the power pack. Paladium is just a code name, known only to Tony and his talking computer. Palladium is the code name for kryptonite. The kryptonite gives off repulsor rays.
All objects from krypton can violate Newton's Third Law. This is how Superman can fly. Kryptonite also gives off repulsor rays. The repulsor ray can push or pull an object without recoil. Furthermore, all objects from krypton can absorb neutrinos from a yellow sun.
The basis of all Tony Stark inventions is the repulsor ray. The reason that that it is so fundamental is that it breaks Newton's Third Law. There is no recoil with regards to the repulsor ray. Linear momentum is not conserved. The repulsor ray is actually a great advance in fundamental physics.
The violation of the Newton's third law leads to violation of the second law of thermodynamics. The total entropy of the universe decreases because of the repulser rays. Tony uses this repulsor ray refrigeration to keep the inside of his suit cool. The heat energy goes into his power pack and is used along with the energy from the kryptonite inside.
The neutrinos from our yellow sun interact with the repulsor rays from the kryptonite to scoop energy out of the Negative Zone where all the dark energy is contained.
Tony could tell you more, but then he would have to bore you.