2 ms·

Some, but not all, especially not the issue of fast neutrons turning whatever your make your reactor out of, into crumbly crap. Now, I know that some people are

Some, but not all, especially not the issue of fast neutrons turning whatever your make your reactor out of, into crumbly crap. Now, I know that some people are placing bets on forms of aneutronic fusion, but realistic forms still produce enough neutrons to ruin metal, that's just not their primary means of transmitting energy. Worse, they require temperatures/pressures far in excess of what's realistic any time soon, except possibly for very brief bursts in the lab.

ZenoArrow 9y ago
> "I know that some people are placing bets on forms of aneutronic fusion, but realistic forms still produce enough neutrons to ruin metal" What makes aneutronic fusion unrealistic? https://lppfusion.com/lppfusion-publishes-world-record-fusion-results-leading-peer-reviewed-journal-physics-plasmas/ https://lppfusion.com/lppfusion-publishes-world-record-fusio... "Hydrogen-boron fuel, also called pB11, is an ideal fuel, producing no neutrons, and no radioactive waste. Its energy can be converted directly into electricity, potentially greatly reducing energy costs below that from any existing source. Both hydrogen and boron are abundantly available. But the fuel needs extremely high ion energy—temperature—to burn. The new results demonstrate that FF-1 has achieved the energies needed to burn pB11 fuel."
- QAPereo 9y ago
  But the fuel needs extremely high ion energy—temperature—to burn. That’s the killer caveat.
  - ZenoArrow 9y ago
    The line that follows indicates why this may no longer be a problem (for the FF-1 at least): "The new results demonstrate that FF-1 has achieved the energies needed to burn pB11 fuel."
    - QAPereo 9y ago
      Worse, they require temperatures/pressures far in excess of what's realistic any time soon, except possibly for very brief bursts in the lab.
      - ZenoArrow 9y ago
        Are you familiar with the dense plasma focus approach to fusion (which is what the device I linked to is using)? It's built around brief bursts of plasma. Maintenance of a stable plasma is not required.
- pas 9y ago
  The problem is funding. Lack of funding makes it unrealistic. There are these small teams and they amass a lot of very specific knowledge about a certain, very particular type of fusion, and ... then they fizzle out financially. Or just burn out psychologically. Or not. I might be too pessimistic. And eventually we'll figure it out. There are incremental gains every year. ITER is "growing" every day: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzwQDDag5eP4Rs-2d4nX5g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzwQDDag5eP4Rs-2d4nX5g

ZenoArrow 9y ago

> "I know that some people are placing bets on forms of aneutronic fusion, but realistic forms still produce enough neutrons to ruin metal" What makes aneutronic fusion unrealistic? https://lppfusion.com/lppfusion-publishes-world-record-fusion-results-leading-peer-reviewed-journal-physics-plasmas/ https://lppfusion.com/lppfusion-publishes-world-record-fusio... "Hydrogen-boron fuel, also called pB11, is an ideal fuel, producing no neutrons, and no radioactive waste. Its energy can be converted directly into electricity, potentially greatly reducing energy costs below that from any existing source. Both hydrogen and boron are abundantly available. But the fuel needs extremely high ion energy—temperature—to burn. The new results demonstrate that FF-1 has achieved the energies needed to burn pB11 fuel."

QAPereo 9y ago
But the fuel needs extremely high ion energy—temperature—to burn. That’s the killer caveat.
- ZenoArrow 9y ago
  The line that follows indicates why this may no longer be a problem (for the FF-1 at least): "The new results demonstrate that FF-1 has achieved the energies needed to burn pB11 fuel."
  - QAPereo 9y ago
    Worse, they require temperatures/pressures far in excess of what's realistic any time soon, except possibly for very brief bursts in the lab.
    - ZenoArrow 9y ago
      Are you familiar with the dense plasma focus approach to fusion (which is what the device I linked to is using)? It's built around brief bursts of plasma. Maintenance of a stable plasma is not required.
pas 9y ago
The problem is funding. Lack of funding makes it unrealistic. There are these small teams and they amass a lot of very specific knowledge about a certain, very particular type of fusion, and ... then they fizzle out financially. Or just burn out psychologically. Or not. I might be too pessimistic. And eventually we'll figure it out. There are incremental gains every year. ITER is "growing" every day: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzwQDDag5eP4Rs-2d4nX5g https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzwQDDag5eP4Rs-2d4nX5g