Reply To: NIMBY FUD

[asymmetric_implosion]

I forgot that the number of generators to get 2.3 TW (mean electrical demand in US) is huge at 5 MW per generator or 460,000 generators. If they are running all the time you can produce about 8% of the helium used in the US in 2008 (193 million standard cubic meters). I couldn’t find a newer number in my five minute hunt. Not enough to get from A to B but it would help if helium recycling efforts step up. You need something like 7-10X the electrical power output in the US to supply the helium using p+11B reaction. Not easy to do given that electrical demand and helium demand are both rising. If helium recycling is implemented and wasteful uses of helium are eliminated, it might be possible for LPP to produce a significant amount of helium say 30%. The real savior would be high temp superconductors as the biggest single He user is for superconducting MRI machines according to Wikipedia. That would cut out 22% of the helium demand alone.