Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

EarnestPutz

(2,086 posts)
1. One "Google" search for "NIF and Fusion Reactions" found this article from last year....
Thu Mar 25, 2021, 11:17 PM
Mar 2021

.....explaining that the usage of the laser for fusion research has been cut in half, down to 30% of lab time, in recent years. Mr NNadir, I know you have been an effective proponent of nuclear power here on DU for a long time, but I don't remember what kind of hope you may have expressed for fusion reactors in the future. Could you please enlighten one of your acolytes about this? And maybe some thoughts on the competing use of this facility for warhead design. Thanks for the post, interesting video.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/laser-fusion-reactor-approaches-burning-plasma-milestone

NNadir

(33,368 posts)
2. I regularly attend lectures at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, many of which are on fusion.
Fri Mar 26, 2021, 12:45 AM
Mar 2021

I strongly support work like the ITER, but this said, it seems very clear to me that even if they can get a positive energy yield for a confined fusion reaction, there is still quite a bit that needs to be addressed. Among these are materials science issues, as well as effective heat transfer, as well as protecting equipment from very high energy neutrons, an order of magnitude higher than fission neutrons.

It's possible that some day it might be useful technology, but we are fresh out of time to wait for it to become so. At the current rate, which is by the way accelerating, we are adding 2. 5 ppm of the dangerous fossil fuel waste carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year.

If it takes another 20 years for fusion reactors to actually produce usable energy, and another 20 years to scale the technology to a significant level - it is sure to take longer - you are talking about 100 ppm, minimum, 520 ppm or higher.

We know how fission reactors work. It's time to stop pretending that they're "too expensive" or "too dangerous" or any of the other claptrap anti-nukes hand out while not bothering to to consider whether climate change is "too expensive" or "too dangerous."

From my perspective, you have to be as dumb as a Republican carrying on about Dr. Suess during Covid and mass shootings to even dream that this kind of comparison is even remotely reasonable, the danger and expense of climate change compared to trivialities (on scale) like the Fukushima and Chernobyl boogeymen.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Science»The National Ignition Fac...