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> "The challenge is the materials that compose the reactor become brittle and highly radioactive far faster than usable. Controlled fusion as an energy source i
by ZenoArrow 11y ago
> "The challenge is the materials that compose the reactor become brittle and highly radioactive far faster than usable. Controlled fusion as an energy source isn't just challenging because fusion is difficult, it's also challenging because materials don't handle neutron bombardment well."
Isn't that problem solved with aneutronic fusion?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion
Of course we should focus on getting fusion working (working in the sense of providing more energy than we put in), regardless of whether we use the aneutronic approach or not, but as the field develops I'm optimistic we'll find ways to have robust fusion reactors.
- iaw 11y agoI can honestly say I'd never heard of that before you posted your link. I don't know enough to form a valid opinion here.
- derwildemomo 11y ago"I don't know enough to form a valid opinion here.". Beautiful. This is pretty much the last thing I ever expected to read on the interweb.
- ZenoArrow 11y agoThank you for your honesty. I'm not an expert in this field either, but I have been following the development of the Focus Fusion reactor being developed by Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, which is where I was introduced to the concept of aneutronic fusion. This video is a fairly decent introduction to their approach (note that the plan is to use the standard deuterium fuel first as it's cheaper and easier to work with, but the design can potentially support an aneutronic fuel such as pB11 in the future): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4w_dzSvVaM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4w_dzSvVaM
- aqme28 11y agoThere are also reactions with fewer overall neutrons such as D-D fusion, which one of my professors was a large proponent of.
- mapt 11y agoThe problem is, low neutron fusion reaction cycles require a very high pressure/temperature/plasma density to reach peak reactivity, substantially higher than D+T and D+D fusion. If we do eventually progress to aneutronic fusion test reactors, we will first have to get neutron-emitting fusion reactions working to the level of substantial net power generation, even if a given test reactor only lasts a few months before neutron irradiation becomes unmanageable.