3 ms·
"The incoming fusion neutrons sustain the temperature of the circulating liquid metal, whose heat would be extracted to drive a turbine." I assume this means a
by idatum 4y ago
"The incoming fusion neutrons sustain the temperature of the circulating liquid metal, whose heat would be extracted to drive a turbine."
I assume this means a steam turbine (heat engine). With the losses inherent in that process, I assume the idea is we'll have a "limitless" source of heat anyway?
Or is heat transfer inherently better with this fusion design?
- gameswithgo 4y agoWhat other process do you propose? A steam turbine is the best way we know how.
- bryanlarsen 4y agoIf fusion relies on a steam turbine, it's going to be economically infeasible. Natural gas power is cheaper than either coal and fission power because they both rely on big, heavy, expensive, inefficient steam turbines. And solar power and wind is cheaper than natural gas, even with batteries.
- perihelions 4y ago- "Natural gas power is cheaper than either coal and fission power because they both rely on big, heavy, expensive, inefficient steam turbines." Most natural gas power plants in the USA use steam turbines. The most common setup is a two-stage "combined cycle": first, an internal-combustion gas turbine, whose waste heat powers a lower temperature steam turbine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_cycle_power_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_cycle_power_plant https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39012 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39012 (~90% of natural gas kWh)
- bryanlarsen 4y agoThe gas turbine is primary in combined cycle. There's a reason they don't use only a steam turbine like coal and fission do.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- 77pt77 4y agoSame way fission works. All these methods are really sophisticated ways to heat stuff and rotate a turbine.