Fusion energy

The American Thinker ^ | June 12, 2009 | M. Simon

[Malsua]

I’ve been watching the Polywell since Bussard’s Google presentation. It’s very promising, unlike the Tokamak.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[ModelBreaker]

“20y ago this engineer heard as a student fusion was 30y away.

One real product of fusion power is this magic fusion number: p=30. It is the one constant, seemlingly.

Commercial Fusion Power Date = Today() + p”

All true. But if Polywell or other private ventures are attacking the problem, it’s a whole different time line than the government projects, which will always be thirty years out.

Real businesses don’t have that kind of timeline available. If they are putting up tens of millions of investment capital, someone thinks there’s a faster payout on its way. Who knows if they’re right. But someone smart enough to have that much money to invest thinks they are.

[steve-b]

How about being willing to settle for something that produces one heck of a lot of heat for a modest investment in electricity and contraptioneering?

You mean an electric space heater?