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Nuclear fusion

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced what they said was a major milestone in reproducing the power of the sun in a laboratory. 

So, that's nice. 

Comments

  • ValleyGary
    ValleyGary Posts: 37,975
    What could possible go wrong....
  • Leuth
    Leuth Posts: 23,314
    What could possible go wrong....
    It doesn't work and we keep using fossil fuels for energy?
  • Chizz said:
    Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced what they said was a major milestone in reproducing the power of the sun in a laboratory. 

    So, that's nice. 
    Wish they'd chosen a better newspaper to replicate.
  • shirty5
    shirty5 Posts: 19,219
    Saw them at the Reading festival in 1993
  • kentaddick
    kentaddick Posts: 18,729
    What could possible go wrong....
    Global energy industry collapses, causing sudden depression in the emirates. Free unlimited energy for all.

  • So they've proved Fusion as a technology  (more energy out than in)  but they need to turn that into electricity.  It is magnificent, but decades away from being useful - according to Dr Kim Goodell director of LLNL.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mJFDMmjeR4
  • Hal1x
    Hal1x Posts: 4,265
    Is this the cold fusion that was the promised Golden Goose from a few years ago?
  • Jints
    Jints Posts: 3,490
    edited December 2022
    So they've proved Fusion as a technology  (more energy out than in)  but they need to turn that into electricity.  It is magnificent, but decades away from being useful - according to Dr Kim Goodell director of LLNL.  


    As they've been saying for years - nuclear fusion is 20 years away and always will be.
  • kentaddick
    kentaddick Posts: 18,729
    edited December 2022
    So they've proved Fusion as a technology  (more energy out than in)  but they need to turn that into electricity.  It is magnificent, but decades away from being useful - according to Dr Kim Goodell director of LLNL.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mJFDMmjeR4
    Use energy to heat water that then turns to steam that turns a generator? Ie how all power stations work? I’m guessing (haven’t watched the video as at work) that the amount of energy was tiny.
  • I remember watching Tomorrow's World 40 years ago, when there would be articles about Nuclear Fusion!
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  • Cafc43v3r
    Cafc43v3r Posts: 21,600
    So they've proved Fusion as a technology  (more energy out than in)  but they need to turn that into electricity.  It is magnificent, but decades away from being useful - according to Dr Kim Goodell director of LLNL.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mJFDMmjeR4
    Use energy to heat water that then turns to steam that turns a generator? Ie how all power stations work? I’m guessing (haven’t watched the video as at work) that the amount of energy was tiny.
    2.1MJ into 2.5MJ so about enough "profit" to boil a kettle.
  • JaShea99
    JaShea99 Posts: 5,458
    Gillette’s most powerful razor yet.
  • Exiled_Addick
    Exiled_Addick Posts: 17,168
    edited December 2022
    The Wright Brothers' first flight was less than 50m and only lasted few seconds. This could be a similarly surfically unimpressive first result that quickly turns into a world changing technology.
  • I remember watching Tomorrow's World 40 years ago, when there would be articles about Nuclear Fusion!
    The idea was first mooted 60 years ago when lasers were invented.  It's taken from then to get to this point.  The technology is way beyond my comprehension but it is obviously a very major breakthrough. Dr Goodall on the video suggests it wont take another 60 or even 50 years to progress to a commercial use. 
  • Only interested once the Warp Drive is up and running.
  • SE10Addick
    SE10Addick Posts: 2,963
    They started looking into how to fix Charlton Athletic but thought they’d go for something easier 
  • Nuclear fusion has been around for 70 years. It is called a Thermonuclear (Hydrogen) Bomb. The only problem is that it needs a small fission explosion (created by an atomic warhead) to create the necessary temperature and pressure to start the fusion process, and therin lies the challenge..
  • JiMMy 85
    JiMMy 85 Posts: 10,193
    What could possible go wrong....

  • msomerton
    msomerton Posts: 2,972
    If sustained fusion is achieved there are still many problems to solve. For example how do you accesses the heat being generated with out for example hindering fusion which is occurring at tens of millions of Celsius. At these temps any thing that comes into contact with plasma is destroyed. Then there is the processes of neutron degradation  of the surrounding structures , how  long a time before the materials have to be replaced. There are many other engineering issues that will take decades to solve.
  • Splitting atoms is more dangerous than joining them.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W-GEE6YU4M
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  • ValleyGary
    ValleyGary Posts: 37,975
    JiMMy 85 said:
    What could possible go wrong....

    Exactly what I was thinking of 🤣
  • There is work being carried out on Fusion right here in the UK at Oxford  .  The project is called JET and maybe ahead of the American project.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrGeuIe17MA
  • It’ll definitely happen just like warp drive and perfect AI. It’s just not going to be in most of our lifetimes.
  • MuttleyCAFC
    MuttleyCAFC Posts: 47,728
    It seems the most important thing is this was something people thought was possible, but now they know it is. That means they wil pursue until they perfect and that may take a while but it could ultimately save the planet.
  • Solidgone
    Solidgone Posts: 10,206
    …is this love baby or just a confusion. 
  • JiMMy 85
    JiMMy 85 Posts: 10,193
    JiMMy 85 said:
    What could possible go wrong....

    Exactly what I was thinking of 🤣

    What could possible go wrong....
    If I don't live long enough to have the power of the sun in the palm of my hand then I'll be very cross.