Direct energy conversion (DEC) or simply direct conversion converts the kinetic energy of a charged particle into a voltage. It is a scheme for the extraction of energy from nuclear fusion. In the early 2000s, research was conducted by Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Florida, Texas A & M University and General Atomics to use direct conversion to extract energy from fission reactions, of charged particles exiting a fission reaction.