Fusion

Fusion power is one of the two primary sources of energy generation for modern humanity, the other being solar power, though antimatter is slowly gaining ground. It currently makes up perhaps 25% of mankind's power generation, the vast majority of which either comes from the megafusor at the center of Ouranos Prime, or the mass of Portable fusion generators used by the populace (PFGs for short).

There are four main types of fusion generators.

Megafusor

Essentially, a fusion reactor that is, on its own, a megastructure. Currently the only such device represents a thousand kilometer-wide globe at the center of Ouranos Prime, and is, quite literally, a miniature star. Unlike a normal reactor, a megafusor is fully capable of fusing hydrogen and helium, and could potentially have a power output rivalling a red dwarf.

No other megafusors are currently planned. Its use as a part of Ouranos Prime is to help facilitate a 'more natural' source of light, and to have a (comparitively) simple system of mass power generation so far out from the Sun, when the Solar Consortium controls nearly the entirety of solar power.

Reactor

The main difference between a reactor and a PFG is one of scale. Although they use a variety of different approaches to fusion, anything smaller than a megafusor primarily fuses deuterium, tritium, helium-3, and lithium. A reactor typically refers to a permanent installation on a station or planetary body, and most of the lithium in the solar system is destined for these reactors.

Because these generators are much more massive, and have nearly two centuries of working research behind them, they operate at extreme temperatures, and are capable of boron-hydrogen fusion, unlike the smaller, more portable generators described below.

Propulsor

A propulsor generator is essentially a plasma engine that takes advantage of fusion. When in use, they do not produce energy directly, but instead helium is funnelled out of them at extreme speeds (nearly 800,000 meters per second), driving the craft. Some non-patterned models have been able to support accelerations of three gees for several hours. They usually use pure deuterium as fuel.

Generator

Due to the somewhat odd connotations involved in calling a package worn on the hip a reactor, the lightweight equipment used to power vehicles and common appliances are referred to as generators. Like propulsors, they are usually fuelled strictly with deuterium, to conserve mass. A generator typically produces about 300 gigajoules per kilogram of fuel.