How To: Alex Lab Builds Real Working Arc Reactor

Alex Lab is a YouTube channel that shows you how to make absolutely outrageous working gadgets. This time Alex has outdone himself, and demonstrates how to take a page from Tony Stark’s universe and make a real working arc reactor.

The reactor doesn’t produce pure energy the way Stark’s does. Instead, Alex’s reactor generates hydroxy gas (also called Brown’s Gas), which is a combination of oxygen and hydrogen. That gas can then feed a charge cylinder built into the repulsor on Alex’s right hand, and that generates an amazingly powerful repulsion event – as it should, since it’s a pretty fast fast burning reaction.

Generating the hydroxy gas is dangerous work. You can’t just use glass as a container for this, because the slightest accident can turn the glass container into a glass grenade, with all the mayhelm that implies. Alex instead opts for a layered cylinder made of alternating lasercut stainless steel and rubber gaskets. Carefully assembling his reactor chamber, Alex takes great care to keep the inside of the reactor as clean as possible. Any impurities could affect the efficiency of the reactor.

The lights in the reactor actually serve a purpose. They help him gauge the intensity of the reaction, which is important if you’ve just strapped a real working molecule-splitting gas reactor to your chest. The reactor is ringed by ten hand-wound induction coils (we can’t tell exactly what they have to do with the reaction process, but they do make the whole thing look pretty cool).

Once it’s all together, it’s time to test it, and wow, does that repulsor ever have a kick. You could really ruin somebody’s day with it!

Alex’s closing remark?

I am Iron Man.

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SCIFI Radio Staff

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