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I doubt renewables can compete with a fusion reactor for high load power uses. So, I can see fusion being used in part with water desalination plants or anythin
by norea-armozel 11y ago
I doubt renewables can compete with a fusion reactor for high load power uses. So, I can see fusion being used in part with water desalination plants or anything to do with heavy industry.
- dragonwriter 11y ago> I doubt renewables can compete with a fusion reactor for high load power uses. So Right now, the can compete favorably with fusion for most uses, what with fusion not actually being even remotely viable. GP seems to be offering the opinion that they will improve to compete more favorably with the best (even before considering environmental concerns) large-scale generation methods before fusion is viable, which may be overly pessimistic in terms of fusion progress, but then again, given how consistently fusion has failed predictions of imminent viability, isn't at all implausible.
- amckenna 11y agoActually there are potentially some large breakthroughs in fusion power depending on how the new Wendelstein 7-X does when it is turned on later this year. Stellarators are pretty cool and if they prove viable could lead to a big shift in the field away from tokamaks which have stalled in efficacy improvements. Here is an article about it: http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2015/10/feature-bizarre-reactor-might-save-nuclear-fusion http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2015/10/feature-bizarre-r... And here is a great video showing the design in amazing detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyqt6u5_sHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyqt6u5_sHA
- norea-armozel 11y agoI think in the next ten years we'll know for sure what the exact cost will be to make an economically viable fusion reactor. Until then, I think it's anyone's guess what that will be.