3 ms·
> His critique of DT fusion is still worth reading. The big issue, the lousy volumetric power density of DT fusion reactors compared to fission reactors, is st
by mlindner 4y ago
> His critique of DT fusion is still worth reading. The big issue, the lousy volumetric power density of DT fusion reactors compared to fission reactors, is still a huge albatross around the necks of all these private DT efforts.
That was largely a product of the times, before high magnetic fields could be achieved. ITER has all those problems, but newer ideas do not.
- pfdietz 4y agoYour comment just shows you don't understand what he wrote. His critique is affected not at all by the existence of higher magnetic fields. ITER's volumetric power density is 400x worse than a PWR. ARC's is just 40x worse. Lidsky was pointing out DT fusion reactors are always going to be (generously) 10x lower in volumetric power density than fission reactors, due to limits on handling the power flowing through the first wall. Higher magnetic fields let ARC be better than ITER, but still sucking relative to fission reactors.