Fusion Power

[Dude Terium]

The Nation's Commitment to Fusion Is a "Litmus Test," Says

Princeton Scientist

 

 

July 11 (LPAC)--In a New York Times op-ed today, titled,

"How Seawater Can Power the World," Stewart Prager, head of the

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in New Jersey, warns that

while the U.S has no program underway to develop fusion to power

our electric grid, Asia moves forward. He reports that "fusion

research facilities more modern than anything in the United

States are either under construction or [are] operating in China,

Germany, Japan, and South Korea. [it is the case, in fact, that

since the cancellation of Princeton's next-generation tokamak

experiment in the 1990s, and other U.S. experiments, American

physicists have gone to South Korea and worked with Chinese

scientists on their machines]. "The will and enthusiasm of

governments in Asia to fill their energy needs with fusion, as

soon as possible, is nearly palpable. What has been lacking in

the United States is the political and economic will," Prager

states.

 

Describing fusion as a technology that "will transform the

world's energy supply," Prager mentions that fusion can be used

to generate electricity, create transportation fuels, and for

other uses. While the U.S. is a partner in the International

Themonuclear Fusion Reactor experiment being built in France,

there is no plan to be able to build and use fusion power plants

here. He ends by saying that fusion "is the litmus test for the

willingness of our nation to tackle the tough challenges that

will shape our future. Scientists and engineers stand ready to

help."

[Guest MrMormon]

Like hydrogen, investing in fusion research debatably would cost more than the potential benefits, especially when the ability to pay the cost is so much shakier than in places like China.

[Moontanman]

I heard of the promise of fusion being just around the corner all my life, it's always just ten years a way and if they do manage to get it going it will still have radioactive waste unless we perfect aneutronic fusion and we do not have the ingredients for that on the earth. Thorium cycle fission is the way to go, easy, cheap, less waste, shorter lived waste and it does not produce weapons grade materials. We went to the uranium/plutonium cycle so we could make nuclear weapons not because it was the best process. The thorium cycle is more efficient but it just doesn't produce weapons material.

 

see this thread ---> http://scienceforums.com/topic/23723-liquid-fluoride-thorium-reactor/

[maddog]

Just an update y'all may not be aware of --

 

There is ongoing DOE research at Sandia Labs, Livermore Labs regarding methods of producing enough energy to create fusion.

Moontanman is correct that the next latest solution is just next week. However, it stands -- those are govt programs sponsored by the

Dept of Energy.

 

Even better are what private industry is doing. In just the last two weeks two programs have made the news. One is a plan from Canada -

I forget the company exactly {try a google search "fusion canada" and you will likely find it}. The second one is affiliated with professors from

UCI and a process called staged Z-pinched technology. There is a company involved MIFTI (URL www.mifti.com). From what I know on the

second it is still in the research frame as "is it sustainable"? and "is it scalable" ?

 

I might have poo-pooed it until I checked out the website. So do you own search, etc.

 

maddog

[TaimurMubeen]

I Agree With You Dude Terium.