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I think you're underestimating how small fusion reactors are. We're going to be needing not just fusion reactors per city, but per city block. If we manage to g
by tinco 5y ago
I think you're underestimating how small fusion reactors are. We're going to be needing not just fusion reactors per city, but per city block. If we manage to get them to break-even, they're going to be super plentiful.
At least, that's what the promise is, we'll have to see of course.
- epistasis 5y agoI've never heard anyone suggest that fusion could scale to be really tiny like that. Do you have any pointers on where I could look to learn about something like that? Because every existing thermal electricity generator scales to be really big for the efficiency gains, and fusion is a thermal electricity generator as planned so far. Tiny steam turbines in each block does not sound cost effective, even if the heat is free.
- tinco 5y agoI'm basing this basically on the size of the experimental reactors currently being developed like sparc and the ST40. No doubt building larger plants is going to be more efficient, but if the fusion reactors themselves are going to be that small a single plant will probably have multiple ones. I think fission reactors and ITER have shown the downside of building really large one off reactors, I don't think they're gonna make that mistake again.