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I don't understand these guys, or at least the VCs that invest in them. For a fusion startup there is one need-to-have and a few nice-to-haves. The absolute nee
by credit_guy 3y ago
I don't understand these guys, or at least the VCs that invest in them. For a fusion startup there is one need-to-have and a few nice-to-haves. The absolute need-to-have is the energy out. It has to be higher than the energy in. Everything else is secondary. Nobody has ever come close to the need-to-have, the NIF result notwithstanding. Lack of neutrons is nice to have, but until you have something that produces net energy, it's only putting the cart before the horse.
- zardo 3y agoThere is the bet that DT fusion will be ahead on energy out > energy in, but due to neutron radiation issues won't be the first technology to break dollars out > dollars in.
- credit_guy 3y agoAnd why would that be so? The neutron radiation results in short term radioactivity, not in transuranic isotopes. Separately, there are no neutron-free fusion cycles. All the so-called neutron free fusion proposals require huge temperatures, and at those temperatures there are always secondary fusion events that produce neutrons.
- rbanffy 3y ago> The neutron radiation results in short term radioactivity, From what I read, it also weakens the material and, thus, requires the reactor to be dismantled on regular schedules.