Posted on 04/21/2018 3:54:08 AM PDT by PIF
China, which is reportedly hard at work on a host of advanced technologies for both military and civilian applications, has given foreign journalists a close look at its potentially revolutionary fusion energy project, which they claim has produced the longest man-made nuclear reaction of this type ever. The tour came as additional details have come to light regarding another advanced fusion reactor program at Lockheed Martin, which recently obtained a patent for portions of its own design.
Snip
“The CFR will avoid these issues by tackling plasma confinement in a radically different way. Instead of constraining the plasma within tubular rings, a series of superconducting coils will generate a new magnetic-field geometry in which the plasma is held within the broader confines of the entire reaction chamber. Superconducting magnets within the coils will generate a magnetic field around the outer border of the chamber. ‘So for us, instead of a bike tire expanding into air, we have something more like a tube that expands into an ever-stronger wall,’ McGuire says. The system is therefore regulated by a self-tuning feedback mechanism, whereby the farther out the plasma goes, the stronger the magnetic field pushes back to contain it. The CFR is expected to have a beta limit ratio of one. ‘We should be able to go to 100% or beyond,’ he adds.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...
I would far rather have success at Lockheed than in China.
Why not? We could steal technology from them for a change.
Propaganda only. let them waste money trying! I do not think this will happen for 40 or 50 years IF EVER!
Who did the Chinese steal that design from?
It looks like something out of the 1950’s.
I agree with you.
These reactors if they actually work, are nice novelties, how does not complete the power generation cycle? Are they going to be used to generate steam to drive a turbine? How do they complete the conversion into usable energy?
“Who did the Chinese steal that design from?”
I don’t know... The Chinese are kicking butt these days with technology, from what I can see.
“Propaganda only. let them waste money trying! I do not think this will happen for 40 or 50 years IF EVER!”
Skepticism is fine, but we’ll see. Fusion is already 40 years behind schedule... ;-)
I remain hopeful that some form of LENR (energy from nuclear weak force) will pan out. That would be even better!
Or earlier - the Nazis built Die Glocke "The Bell"
Fusion power is useless unless the power is harnessed to produce work as in electricity or propulsion.
Whatever Lockheed develops, China will steal.
“Are they going to be used to generate steam to drive a turbine? How do they complete the conversion into usable energy?”
These were heating whole factories:
If Andrea Rossi is to be believed. Which he is not.
Fusion power is useless unless the power is harnessed to produce work as in electricity or propulsion.
++++++
Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t a sustained plasma reaction provide the continuous generation of HEAT?
Like burning coal or gasoline or natural gas. I don’t believe that the heat to electric power process is going to.be a limiting factor.
But that sustained reaction... now that is a real problem.
Well, that is part of the problem.
A sustained fusion reaction requires that the heat in the chamber remain at or above a certain level (don’t ask me)
Exporting heat to boil water is removing heat. Removing that heat at too great a rate could extinguish the chain reaction. Balancing the fuel feed and heat bleed may be a difficult problem
Too much fuel may damage your boiler tubes too little fuel and your reaction is extinguished.
For the Love Of God! No Rossi posts, let cold fusion rest in peace!
This is not about cold fusion. So whom ever Rossi is he is not part of this article which is about a building sustained thermonuclear fusion reactor. See post 12 for how power is generated.
Thanks PIF.
The Strange History of Fusion
and the Science of Wishful Thinking
by Charles Seife
“Are they going to be used to generate steam to drive a turbine? How do they complete the conversion into usable energy?”
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Nearly all fusion projects aim at direct conversion from plasma discharge to electron generation hence electricity. A totally different path than heat generating fission, because physics allows that.
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none of the fusion project have reached net energy consistently. that’s a physics problem. what some of the labs have done is got closer. Instead of being half way there —they are now 3/4 -7/8 there. They are so excited about this achievement that they believe that they can be commercial by 2030.
However, they assume that the “last mile” 1/4-1/8 will be easily overcome to net energy will be relatively easy to overcome.
That remains to be seen. What’s certain is that the costs of getting there will be much less than the BS costs of LLNL or the beast at ITER.
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Conversion of fusion reactions directly to electricity is probably a bigger and maybe more difficult feat than achieving net energy itself. I have not seen anyone working on that problem at all. From what I’ve seen, they’re currently they’re just trying to get net energy.
“Conversion of fusion reactions directly to electricity is probably a bigger and maybe more difficult feat than achieving net energy itself. I have not seen anyone working on that problem at all. From what I’ve seen, they’re currently they’re just trying to get net energy.”
It’s well known, not exploratory physics, just waiting for plenty of plasma from fusion to become engineering solutions.
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