Homo sapiens.

"The countdown begins..."

"10...8...0...start!"

Hydrogen is injected into the prototype's six Levi's rings.

However, there is a difference before and after the injection time.

In the first Levi's ring that is injected with hydrogen, the magnetic field quickly binds the hydrogen, and the wakefield devices are activated one by one in an instant, and the hydrogen is quickly accelerated, and then passes through the gamma ray plasma heating device.

The heating limit of 12.7 billion degrees Celsius splits hydrogen molecules into hydrogen ions in an instant, and they are extremely hot hydrogen ions.

The hot and fast hydrogen ions are rapidly approaching the sublight speed.

In less than 36 seconds, the temperature and speed of hydrogen ions in the Levi's ring reached a critical point.

next second.

The hydrogen ion fluid begins to undergo nuclear fusion reaction. This reaction is very intense and rapid. The amount of injected hydrogen elements has been calculated, which just keeps the level of nuclear fusion at a controllable level, and the nuclear fusion reaction will not destroy the equipment. .

As the chain reaction nuclear fusion began to occur inside the Levi's ring, the heat energy in the ring pipe soared rapidly, and at the same time, some high-energy neutrons were ejected in all directions.

At this time, the neutron absorbing layer wrapped inside the pipeline began to receive these high-energy neutrons. This is a nano-absorbing layer composed of lithium carbon materials. Although the thickness is only 12 cm, it contains layers of graphene, two layers A layer of lithium nanofilm is sandwiched between the graphene.

High-energy neutrons cannot break through this layer of neutron-absorbing layer. The high-energy neutrons ejected by nuclear fusion will convert some carbon and lithium into radioactive isotopes.

Therefore, the lithium carbon neutron absorbing layer has a service life, usually only about 75 days, and must be replaced.

This is not a problem on the earth, but on the spacecraft, the problem of replacement and the replenishment of lithium carbon materials must be considered.

As for how to replenish lithium carbon materials, Karl's team has created a secondary recycling technology for nuclear reaction products.

The principle is very simple. During the multiple nuclear fusion reaction of the Levi's ring, lithium and carbon will be produced at different stages, so this part of lithium and carbon can be recycled.

And the recovery system is in the spiral magnetic field device.

After 3 minutes, all six Levi's rings completed the nuclear fusion cycle, and the temperature inside the Levi's ring was firmly controlled at the point of 12.7 billion degrees Celsius through the gold-based thermoelectric conversion system.

A large amount of thermal energy is converted into electrical energy, part of which is used for the system's magnetic field, tail field, and plasma maintenance, and part of it is converted into power.

Here it is the function of the composite spiral magnetic field device.

The auxiliary system continuously injects various material powders into one of the open spiral bodies, and these powders are quickly ionized into plasma, and at the same time, there are magnetic fields and wake field accelerations.

The plasma is accelerated to 25% to 30% of the speed of light.

The blocking ceramic wall set behind the prototype is 1000 meters away from the nozzle of the prototype, still emitting dense sparks, and the surface temperature soars crazily.

Obviously, this is the high-heat and high-speed plasma ejected from the engine nozzle, which acts on the barrier wall.

In less than 10 minutes, the surface temperature of the first barrier wall had exceeded 5000 degrees Celsius. Coupled with the impact of a large amount of high-energy plasma, even high-temperature-resistant ceramic materials began to melt.

Inside the control room of the test platform.

Mikoyan glanced at the power data. The power of this engine is astonishing. The high-energy plasma that is ejected brings a very strong reaction force to the engine itself.

And these reaction forces are the power to push the spacecraft forward.

Mikoyan was very happy: "Karl, it seems that you have succeeded."

However, Karl did not open the champagne at halftime. He smiled and shook his head: "It hasn't passed 24 hours yet, so it's hard to say now."

Mikoyan thought that this prototype was a success. After all, it was the first one. Even if it didn't last for 24 hours, it could continue to improve in the future.

He touched the stubble of his chin: "This power is too powerful. If it is installed on a Qinglong-class space battleship, the speed is estimated to soar to 6000 kilometers per second."

"2% of the speed of light is no problem." Karl is very clear about the upper limit of this engine.

According to the combination of nuclear fusion power and sub-light speed plasma engine, the theoretical upper limit of the speed of this system can reach 5% of the speed of light, and there is no way to go higher.

It is not too difficult to reach 2% of the speed of light at this time.

"Report, the reaction product can be recycled..."

Karl quickly ordered: "Start recycling immediately."

At this time, among the six Levi's rings of the prototype, the Levi's ring that was the first to inject nuclear fuel before, nuclear fusion has reacted to the lithium stage.

Therefore, the system began to automatically open the magnetic field connection device. After the magnetic field was adjusted, the lithium element that became plasma was quickly sucked into another closed spiral magnetic field device.

The high-temperature and high-speed spiral magnetic field entering the spiral magnetic field is quickly absorbed by the gold-based thermoelectric system, and then sucked into the recovery device by the electric field.

In this way, the spacecraft can continuously produce lithium carbon elements from hydrogen and helium elements through nuclear fusion reactions.

Although the lithium carbon element produced in this way also has some radioactive isotopes, the two can be separated.

This system is not very useful for spacecraft operating in the inner solar system.

But for the spacecraft flying in this interstellar space, this system is indeed crucial, because it can ensure that the spacecraft itself can obtain a steady stream of lithium carbon, thereby maintaining the neutron-absorbing layer of the nuclear fusion power generation system.

As for why the neutron absorbing layer does not use other elements, but lithium carbon nanomaterials?
The reason is very simple, not that other elements cannot produce neutron-absorbing layers, but that other elements cannot be artificially produced.

For example, metal materials such as tungsten and platinum can also be used as raw materials for the neutron absorbing layer. The problem is that tungsten and platinum are rare elements, and their content in interstellar space is very small, so it is difficult to obtain supplies by collecting stardust and asteroids.

But lithium carbon is different. Lithium carbon can be produced through controllable nuclear fusion. Its raw material is hydrogen helium beryllium boron. As long as there is hydrogen, it can be manufactured continuously.

This is why Carl's team chose lithium carbon as the material for the neutron absorbing layer.

Hydrogen is the most readily available raw material in interstellar space.

It is entirely possible to install a stardust collection pot on the head of the spacecraft, or look for watery asteroids along the way.

In this way, the spacecraft can obtain a large amount of hydrogen, and through nuclear fusion of hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, and carbon can be obtained.

Therefore, in future interplanetary spacecraft, many internal consumables should be mainly helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, and carbon.

Thank you for your support (ω｀), please subscribe, collect, monthly and recommendation tickets.One more chapter, around 09:30.