3 ms·

With a tokamak, like SPARC (https://www.psfc.mit.edu/sparc https://www.psfc.mit.edu/sparc) it's clear how energy will be extracted, the vessel will be heated an

With a tokamak, like SPARC (https://www.psfc.mit.edu/sparc https://www.psfc.mit.edu/sparc) it's clear how energy will be extracted, the vessel will be heated and the cooling fluid goes through a heat exchanger to get the energy. How would it work here? I imagine something like spiderman 2 where a big ball of fire is suspended in a chamber, but how would energy be transformed to electricity?

adnmcq999 5y ago
Without any googling, wouldn’t be the same way as a fission or coal power plant? Energy from exothermic reaction heats up water which is then used to turn a steam turbine
- api 5y ago
  Seems like it could also be mechanical. There are gigantic Diesel engines that have pistons capable of each absorbing this kind of energy. Have a little bit of gas or water near the target and there will be quite an expansion. Also a "thermonuclear internal combustion engine" is kind of retro-futuristic and cool.
  - skinkestek 5y ago
    Wow, cool idea!
  - willis936 5y ago
    This is General Fusion's approach.
  - robocat 5y ago
    Largest Diesel engine in the world[1] burns 160g (5.6oz) of diesel each combustion, within a 960mm (38in) diameter cylinder with a 2500mm (8.2ft) stroke. A barrel of oil is about 160 litres and contains 6.1E9 Joules[2], so each combustion stroke is about 6MJ. The fusion reaction released 1.3MJ of energy. So a single cylinder fusion engine seems realistic! [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wärtsilä-Sulzer_RTA96-C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wärtsilä-Sulzer_RTA96-C [2] https://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumbers.pdf https://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumb... A Cheeseburger weighs 3.9oz for comparison https://cockeyed.com/science/weight/cheeseburger-mcdonalds.html https://cockeyed.com/science/weight/cheeseburger-mcdonalds.h...
lambdatronics 5y ago
Basically the same idea. 80% of fusion's energy output is in neutrons, which would be absorbed by special shielding around the vessel, while the other 20% is released as hot plasma that would heat up the inner surface of the vessel. Coolant loops would transfer the heat to a steam turbine.

adnmcq999 5y ago

Without any googling, wouldn’t be the same way as a fission or coal power plant? Energy from exothermic reaction heats up water which is then used to turn a steam turbine

api 5y ago
Seems like it could also be mechanical. There are gigantic Diesel engines that have pistons capable of each absorbing this kind of energy. Have a little bit of gas or water near the target and there will be quite an expansion. Also a "thermonuclear internal combustion engine" is kind of retro-futuristic and cool.
- skinkestek 5y ago
  Wow, cool idea!
- willis936 5y ago
  This is General Fusion's approach.
- robocat 5y ago
  Largest Diesel engine in the world[1] burns 160g (5.6oz) of diesel each combustion, within a 960mm (38in) diameter cylinder with a 2500mm (8.2ft) stroke. A barrel of oil is about 160 litres and contains 6.1E9 Joules[2], so each combustion stroke is about 6MJ. The fusion reaction released 1.3MJ of energy. So a single cylinder fusion engine seems realistic! [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wärtsilä-Sulzer_RTA96-C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wärtsilä-Sulzer_RTA96-C [2] https://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumbers.pdf https://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumb... A Cheeseburger weighs 3.9oz for comparison https://cockeyed.com/science/weight/cheeseburger-mcdonalds.html https://cockeyed.com/science/weight/cheeseburger-mcdonalds.h...

lambdatronics 5y ago

Basically the same idea. 80% of fusion's energy output is in neutrons, which would be absorbed by special shielding around the vessel, while the other 20% is released as hot plasma that would heat up the inner surface of the vessel. Coolant loops would transfer the heat to a steam turbine.