• jarfil@beehaw.org
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    9 months ago

    Hydrogen fusion plants would produce helium in the reaction, which would need to be constantly filtered out.

    Would be nice if that was the reason.

    • Square Singer@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      But not nearly the required amounts. We currently use about 6 million metric tons of helium per year.

      If fusion plants ever become a commercially viable thing (and that’s a big if), they will never be able to supply anything close to that.

      • jarfil@beehaw.org
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        9 months ago

        According to this, the anual production is 160 million cubic meters, which at a density of 0.166kg/m³ would be over 26 million metric tons of helium per year.

        https://www.statista.com/statistics/925214/helium-production-worldwide-by-country/

        If we currently only use 6, that’s 20 too many being produced. It would also seem like China is 95% dependent on helium import, so the US selling its reserves could be a reasonable way to level the import/export balance.

          • jarfil@beehaw.org
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            9 months ago

            According to the OP article:

            Both Philips and Siemens Healthineers recently started selling alternatives to traditional MRI machines, which hold 1,700 to 1,800 liters of liquid helium and require constant replenishment.

            Some models now require just 1 to 7 liters of helium and don’t need any replenishment.

            That could mean a much lower usage, and a much longer timespan for the supply.

            • Square Singer@feddit.de
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              9 months ago

              That would indeed be very helpful. But if all the other usages keep draining the supply, it will only help extend artificial reserves.