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Serious question for those with actual knowledge of Controlled Fusion Economics: Does the smaller size of this reactor design mitigate the challenges that the
by iaw 11y ago
Serious question for those with actual knowledge of Controlled Fusion Economics:
Does the smaller size of this reactor design mitigate the challenges that the Tokamaks face with material radioactivity? With the level of neutron bombardment those pistons undergo what material can they be made of to assure an economically viable operational lifetime?
I remember this being one of the bigger challenges for all of injector and heating equipment in Tokamak designs. After a point the devices are composed of different radioactive isotopes and have to be replaced/disposed of, making the economics... challenging.
Is it possible for this project to be successful without a Materials breakthrough? I don't think the Physics challenges are insurmountable with enough time, but finding new materials can be a rabbit hole.
- paulsutter 11y agoAneutronic fusion[1] releases 100x fewer neutrons, but requires 10x higher temperature, among other challenges: [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion
- Natsu 11y agoI thought it was also proven that it couldn't be energy positive.