Derek Sutherland / University of WashingtonOct 10Posted on 03/31/2015 7:32:03 PM PDT by ckilmer
Derek Sutherland / University of WashingtonOct 10Researchers say they've developed a concept for a fusion reactor that could be built for less money than an equivalent coal-fired plant — but they acknowledge that they still have some questions to answer. For example, will the concept really work?
The design concept, known as the "dynomak," is the subject of a detailed economic analysis as well as a presentation to be made next week in Russia at the International Atomic Energy Agency's 25th Fusion Energy Conference. The analysis suggests that a dynomak capable of producing 1 gigawatt of electrical power could be built for $2.7 billion, compared with $2.8 billion for a comparable coal plant.
That's far less than the estimated $50 billion-plus price tag for the 35-nation ITER demonstration fusion reactor that's being built in France, with a target date of 2027 for the first experiments. It's less than the $3.5 billion cost of the National Ignition Facility, which has yet to achieve true break-even with its laser-blaster fusion experiment. But it's quite a bit more than the unorthodox Polywell fusion reactors proposed by EMC2 Fusion, which are projected to cost in the range of $30 million to $200 million.
One of the researchers on the University of Washington team behind the dynomak design, Derek Sutherland, said the concept could bridge the gap between the expensive mainstream approaches to fusion energy and the low-cost but highly speculative outside-the-box approaches.
"We're like the mainstream enough to benefit from their superior physics, but we're different enough to address the economic issues facing fusion in general," he told NBC News. "Not too alternative, not too mainstream. Maybe it's just right."
On one level, fusion energy is totally mainstream: After all, it's the reaction that powers the sun, which showers our planet with energy from 93 million miles away. It's also the reaction behind hydrogen bombs. In both cases, hydrogen nuclei are smashed together under high pressure and temperature to create helium nuclei. Some of the nuclear mass is converted into pure energy, in accordance with Albert Einstein's E=mc² formula — and that's what produces fusion power.
Harnessing that reaction has proven devilishly difficult. Decades of work and billions of dollars in spending haven't yet resulted in a reactor that goes beyond the break-even point and produces more energy than it consumes.
Scientists expect ITER to do it in a seven-story-tall facility, but the construction cost is daunting — and even then, the facility will be more of a science experiment than a model for commercial power generation.
UWThe current fusion experiment, known as HIT-Si3, is about one-tenth the size of what researchers say should be a commercially viable power-producing dynomak reactor.
"Investors don't want to spend tens of billions of dollars up front, not knowing if the experiment is going to work," Sutherland said.
He explained that the dynomak design is a low-cost cousin of ITER's tokamak design. In both cases, the power-producing plasma is contained inside a magnetic field. But Sutherland said the dynomak is constructed so that "all of the magnetic fields required for stability are generated purely from the currents" in the plasma, rather than from superconducting coils placed around the reactor.
"That enables a more compact reactor," he said.
The University of Washington team, led by physicist Thomas Jarboe, has generated tens of electron volts' worth of fusion power in a small-scale reactor known as HIT-Si3, thanks to U.S. Department of Energy funding. Now the researchers are looking for $8 million to $10 million to build a test reactor that's roughly twice as big. If the computer models are correct, that reactor, dubbed HIT-SiX, would produce temperatures in the range of hundreds of electron volts.
"HIT-SiX will serve as the key risk-reduction experiment," Sutherland said. It wouldn't come anywhere near the break-even point, but it would provide additional data points to show whether the team is really on the right track.
Sutherland said "there's no reason at the moment to believe that the reaction won't scale up to commercial operations." But will reality obey the computer models?
"That's always the million-dollar question," he said. It's also the $8 million, $30 million, $3.5 billion and $50 billion question.
It’s only 10 years away.
i want one small enough to plug into my house. i’ll replace it every 20, 30 or 50 years.
10 years, that’s what they told me in 1984.
Maybe we need an executive order?
It’s what they’ve been saying since 1955. We are with fusion where the practice of medicine was before Ignatz Semelweis developed the germ theory of disease. A breakthrough not necessarily of technology but of human genius that will seem obvious once it is realized, but only a genius will first see it.
Its certainly the holy grail of energy along with a matter/antimatter reactor.
Personally I think its just not something we’re technologically advanced enough to do yet.
Energy will be *ahem* too cheap to meter.
It will not be easy, but it will be a refreshing break when energy sources can be simple, economical, local to the household, and environmentally sound. Mind you, I am no adherent of Al Gore’s fear-mongering.
It's been ten years away ever since I first heard of it in my second grade Weekly Reader back in 1958.
Fusion is the energy source of the future, and it always will be.
This article is five months old. The real news this week is Alexander Parkhomov’s successful replication of Andrea Rossi’s “E-Cat” device, and unlike Rossi, he has published full details of his experiments. But, since it’s “cold fusion,” it is verboten, even though they’re calling it “low energy nuclear reaction” (LENR). We’ll see if others will be able to replicate Parkhomov’s success.
I see what you did there! :p
It’s that better world just over the horizon.
Standing tough under stars and stripes We can tell This dream's in sight You've got to admit it At this point in time that it's clear The future looks bright On that train all graphite and glitter Undersea by rail Ninety minutes from New York to Paris Well by seventy-six we'll be A.O.K.What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space While there's time The fix is in You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky You know we've got to win Here at home we'll play in the city Powered by the sun Perfect weather for a streamlined world There'll be spandex jackets one for everyone
What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free
On that train all graphite and glitter Undersea by rail Ninety minutes from New York to Paris (More leisure time for artists everywhere) A just machine to make big decisions Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision We'll be clean when their work is done We'll be eternally free yes and eternally young
What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free
I.G.Y., by Donald Fagen
Standing tough under stars and stripes
We can tell
This dream's in sight
You've got to admit it
At this point in time that it's clear
The future looks bright
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well by seventy-six we'll be A.O.K.
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space
While there's time
The fix is in
You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky
You know we've got to win
Here at home we'll play in the city
Powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There'll be spandex jackets one for everyone
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
(More leisure time for artists everywhere)
A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision
We'll be clean when their work is done
We'll be eternally free yes and eternally young
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
I.G.Y., by Donald Fagen
(sorry for improperly formatted post)
Outstanding!
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