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It’s potentially just a much better version of fission. Fusion won’t cause a runaway reaction — in fact it’s brutally difficult to get it to react at all, henc
by thehappypm 4y ago
It’s potentially just a much better version of fission.
Fusion won’t cause a runaway reaction — in fact it’s brutally difficult to get it to react at all, hence why this is an achievement.
It also doesn’t use materials that can be used for a bomb, again unlike fission.
As a result it has the potential to be cheaper to implement, cheaper to fuel, with no meltdown risk.
- dogma1138 4y agoDepending on the scale and reactor design, we have really good examples of run away fusion reactions. Run away reactions are easy, controlled ones are hard. And whilst I won’t doubt that if fusion ever becomes commercially viable the reactors would be walk away safe it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to account for that in your design.
- willis936 4y agoWhat is an example of a run away fusion reaction?
- dogma1138 4y agoThe US strategic arsenal.
- blamestross 4y agoA Hydrogen Bomb. It is basically using a nuke (fission) to trigger fusion instead of lasers.
- willis936 4y agoThat is a run away fission reaction that ignites a short lived fusion reaction. We don't even talk about neutron populations or k factors in fusion because there is no avalanche effect possible.
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- dharmab 4y agoIsn't tritium used in fusion and a potential weapons material?
- devmor 4y agoIt's a fission yield booster. It's as much of a weapons material as charcoal is.
- mlyle 4y agoIt's not controlled. It does help boost some fission weapons. But it's not the hard part or critical piece of producing a nuclear weapon, and you can get by without it. To illustrate how little it's controlled-- I have a little bit on my keychain as an alpha source with a phosphor so my keyring always glows.
- valine 4y agoAlso don’t forget the biggest benefit over solar/wind: it keeps on generating power on cold windless nights.
- jszymborski 4y agoNo need to worry about Cold Dunkelflaut! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xsg9iK5yo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xsg9iK5yo