Most fusion concepts end in a boiler. The burner's D-3He cycle delivers the bulk of its power in charged particles streaming out the mirror ends, so the plant harvests them directly — on the loss cone, with an electrostatic converter, no steam loop required.
Charged particles leaving the mirror throat carry directed kinetic energy along open field lines. A direct-energy converter decelerates them against an electrostatic field and collects the current — converting particle energy to electricity without an intermediate thermal cycle. For a fuel whose output is already charged, the steam detour is an unnecessary loss.
Skipping the full steam cycle raises plant efficiency and deletes cost: less turbine hall, less cooling, faster load response. Direct conversion is the architectural payoff of choosing a charged-particle fuel, and the mirror's open ends are what make it reachable.
| Harvest | direct electrostatic conversion |
| Input | charged particles on the loss cone |
| Steam cycle | not required for the direct stream |
| Fuel fit | D-3He output is charged |
| Benefit | higher efficiency, faster load response |