Is it possible to derive nuclear fuel purely from solar energy?

Question

Hello, I am of a very scientific mind;

Has there ever been any speculated means of harvesting raw solar energy from the sun (in the form of whatever rays make it to the earth or to orbitally positioned solar cells), and taking this solar energy and continuously cycling / refining / converting it molecularly to produce solar fuel, without adding anything else that does not come directly from a sun? Is this possible? My ideas are for purely for a science fiction novel I am going to write, and I am in need of a realistic way of propelling "starships" from one solar system to another; I figured harvesting solar energy from various suns could be a good idea, if it's possible to convert solar energy entirely into solar fuel to propel a starship unit. I need a realistic way (holding some scientific bearing) in which solar energy is collected by itself, without adding anything else to it, and reconfiguring the molecules to have efficient solar fuel.

Thanks for any useful contributions.

Answer 1

Solar energy is the energy of light - photons of energy.
It is not a molecular or elemental substance.
Fusion is when multiple atoms of an element fuse into another element. Solar energy is not an element.

Nuclear fusion requires a lot of heat and pressure to fuse one element into another (such as hydrogen to helium in the sun).
Solar energy is not hot enough and does not create enough pressure to cause fusion (and you would still need the element to fuse).

But using the heat from solar energy to vaporize solid fuel in a spaceship would work (been done in other sci-fi stories, called a plasma drive in some stories).

Answer 2

Yes. We all know E=MC2 where matter is converted to energy but M=E/C2 also applies.. Energy into matter. Build a monstrously big solar panel (build it inbetween Venus and the sun and Venus becomes a livable planet) and use the electricity to power nuclear accelerators. Use those to make antimatter like antihydrogen. The antihydrogen could then be transported and used as a nuclearfuel. But some kind of propellant would also be necessary. Antihydrogen annihilated by hydrogen is converted into energy in the form of radiation.

Answer 3

Solar energy is primarily light, which is converted into electricity by photovoltaic cells. This can be stored in batteries as chemical energy, but would be impractical for a starship.

Stars also shed mass in the form of the solar wind. This is comprised of chargd particals which could be collected using a large magnetic field and harvested for energy.

Try these links for a few ideas:

Answer 4

Hi. The hydrogen driven off in the solar wind could be magnetically collected, forced into a chamber heated by solar radiation, and expelled as thrust I suppose.

Answer 5

almost all the energy used by mankind is derived from solar energy! you have the obvious photon energy, collected on photovoltaic cells and radiative heaters. wind energy is a result of the convective currents caused by solar heating. hydrolectric energy results from solar water evaporation which results in rain and snow in mountiains causing rivers and reservoirs. photosyntisis creates biomass which feed animals that die and are compressed and heated over eons to create oil coal and gas. nuclear (along with geothermal) are one of the few energy sources used by man that are not directly attributable to solar energy, but are a result of the elements created in supernovae or the big bang.

Answer 6

Instead, solar panel could help generates electricity & will be radiated to the nuclear power station. For making the nuclear fuels, you will need a lot of substances & power to generate it; which could take 5 years.

Answer 7

There are 5 possibilities I see. a million. Nuclear Fission 2. Nuclear Fusion 3. area image voltaic potential equipment 4. sparkling Coal 5. Politically the terrific option potential with storage (i.e. what would be mandatory to certainly use wind and floor based image voltaic) precise now purely Fission is definitely waiting for vast scale deployment (in certainty we've had it waiting for some years, we in simple terms could get around to certainly using it) on an analogous time as the others are destiny technologies. I even have severe hopes that Fusion and area potential structures will develop into certainty ultimately yet I doubt sparkling Coal or Wind and floor based image voltaic mixed with potential storage technologies are going to be of lots use (they're going to in all probability finally end up too costly while in comparison with Fission which will develop into the benchmark, changing grimy coal which would be taxed out of lifestyles). sparkling Coal additionally has the downside of being fossil gasoline based (besides the reality that we do have extremely countless coal and if it works it might stay as much as the promise of not inflicting international warming). the quite a few different potential materials have too many issues to be substantial gamers. lots of the best hydro websites have been used and the others are off limits to damming as a results of fact of environmental concerns, geothermal purely works in some places (even with the incontrovertible fact that the two a sort of could be good the place they artwork). Wind and floor based image voltaic are not good adequate so which you the two want large potential storage or you lower back them up with fossil fuels, all of us who ignores the want for backup with wind and floor based image voltaic could themselves be disregarded. Wave and Tidal potential is in simple terms too low in potential density to be of lots use. of direction it incredibly is in simple terms for electrical energy, transportation fuels are going to be a extra durable subject to unravel and could in all probability be some thing synthetic with warmth from a nuclear reactor, hydrogen or a guy made hydrocarbon (methanol, butanol or perhaps CO2 and Water to Petrol), battery technologies does not seek for to taking on completely.

Answer 8

It depends on the nuclear reaction you are referring to. If you are referring to nuclear fission, then the most direct way is to harness solar energy to power atom smashers to manufacture the nuclear fuel. And believe me, you need a massive solar array, and pretty damn close to the sun.

If you are referring to nuclear fusion, then all you need is hydrogen, so yes.