> This depends on how you want to distribute energy (and heat dissipation)
> in your system. If the feedstock is inert, then the nanites will have to
> use energy to reform it into something different on site, and will cause
> distributed heating and problems of distributing energy. If you store high
> enthalpy parts in the cube, then they can mainly be used "off the shelf"
> and the energy dissipation will have to occur in the recycling system.
This is a good point. I was aware of the energy distribution
problem when it comes time to recycle the material, but when I made my
post, I was looking at the recycling center as essentially a garbage
dump where stuff is stored until it is needed.
In any case, not only does my proposal simply trade one problem for
another, but in light of the throughput that would be expected in the
recycling area, I don't think what I brought up would even apply.
-- In the Ecstatic Service of Life -- Omega