Pinch fusion reactor
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
Pinch fusion reactors are nuclear fusion reactors that served as a source of power generation used by the Covenant.[1] Using deuterium and tritium as fuel,[2] pinch fusion reactors replicate the conditions inside the core of a star to generate enormous amounts of plasma and power. These reactors power the weapons and engines of warships, the impulse drives of smaller ships, and even the combat harnesses of Sangheili warriors.[1]
The pinch fusion reactor serves are the primary source of power for Covenant warships, though a handful of classes were powered by shrine-cores, power plants extracted from Forerunner machinery.[3]
Description
The reactors use focused artificial gravity generators to initiate and sustain a fusion reaction, replicating the conditions inside the core of stars. This process generates an enormous amount of power and plasma.[1][4] Through deuterium-tritium fusion, the plasma that is generated is compressed and heated by pinched magnetic fields.[2] Non-essential ship systems may be rendered inert or disconnected to divert the output of the reactors entirely to specific systems, such as armaments or propulsion.[5] The reactors are surprisingly primitive for the Covenant,[2] and are quite volatile.[4] If their cooling systems become disabled or their maximum heat loads are exceeded, they can often fail explosively[6]—the reactors can detonate with the power of a small supernova should containment efforts fail.[1]
Applications and usage
Pinch fusion reactors are most notably used on Covenant warships, powering the weapons and engines. The CPV-class heavy destroyer has two pinch fusion reactors; the primary reactor powers the destroyer's powerful superheavy excavation beam, while the secondary reactors power the rest of the ship.[1] The largest pinch fusion reactor of the CCS-class battlecruiser provides the energy needed to ignite plasma torpedoes and charge its excavation beam.[7] The impulse drives fitted on fighters, dropships, and shuttles are powered by a small pinch fusion reactor.[8] Small pinch fusion reactors are used to power the Covenant's Type-38 "Tyrant" anti-air cannons and the Sangheili combat harnesses.[9] Unyielding Hierophant was also powered by pinch fusion reactors.[6]
In order to obtain fuel for their pinch fusion reactors, the Covenant operate various groundside facilities on worlds rich in tritium and deuterium, including hydro-processing centers[10] and massive refineries such as that on Pegasi Delta.[11]
Gallery
An assault carrier's pinch fusion reactor in Halo 2
A Tyrant's pinch fusion reactor in Halo: Reach
List of appearances
- Halo: First Strike (First appearance)
- Halo 2
- Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
- Halo: Reach
- Halo: Spartan Assault
- Halo: Escalation
- Halo 2: Anniversary
Sources
- ^ a b c d e Halo: Warfleet, p. 61
- ^ a b c Halo: First Strike, p. 193 (2003); p. 234 (2010)
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 65
- ^ a b Halo: Warfleet, p. 91
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 71
- ^ a b Halo: First Strike, p. 305 (2003)
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 62
- ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 59
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Community Update (07/29/16): The Finals Countdown
- ^ Xbox Live's Major Nelson: News From Halo Fest
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, p. 15
