Hovering...
Among other powers the Ironman suit is capable of flight. But how much energy and force does it take to fly and hover?
Ironman has a mass of 115 kg (from Marvel). So to hover Ironman simply needs to prove a force of 1127 N of lift to act against gravity.
If Ironman fell for 1 second the amount of energy needed to return him to his original height is the same as the energy needed to hover for a second (or the power).In 1 second he would fall 4.9 m (d = ½ a t2 = ½ x 9.8 x 12). The energy to move back up the 4.9 m would be equal to the change in gravitational potential energy = mass x gravity x height = 115 x 9.8 x 4.9 = 5522.3 J.
So it takes 5522.3 J/s or watts of power for Ironman to hover.
Creating Lift
The lift is created by firing fuel (particles) downwards. By pushing particles down with a force and equal and opposite force pushes Ironman up (Newton’s third law).The mass of fuel (particles) used and the speed it leaves combine to produce the thrust. So you can fire less fuel faster or lots of fuel slower.
Arc Reactor...
Tokomak Reactor.
Ironman’s energy supply, the arc reactor, can produce vast amounts of energy. It is similar in design to nuclear fusion power stations called a Tokomak.
In a Tokomak a magnetic field is used to hold an extremely hot plasma of isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium). The isotopes collide and undergo fusion to create a helium atom and a neutron. This process releases vast amounts of energy and once we have a continuous process will change the way we generate electricity. Possibly in the future these large devices will be reduced in size, but for now they are neither small nor sustainably producing electricity.
Ironman’s arc reactor uses Palladium in its core which has been proposed (although largely discredited) as a possible material for fusion at lower temperatures (cold fusion). It is more likely that the Palladium is involved in an electron and gamma ray exchange.These gamma rays could be used as power or sent externally as the Unibeam weapon (although this rapidly drains the fuel source).
The blue glow.
This is common in nuclear reactors when a high speed particle enters a new medium at a speed higher than the speed of light for that medium.For example the speed of light in water is about 2.25 x 108 m/s a beta particle (very high speed electron) can enter the water faster than this and it would cause the blue glow.