2 ms·
The efficiency in the lasers isn't off by 50%. They are off by SEVERAL orders of magnitude. Plus the fuel pellets are too expensive anyway.
by boxed 3y ago
The efficiency in the lasers isn't off by 50%. They are off by SEVERAL orders of magnitude.
Plus the fuel pellets are too expensive anyway.
- ben_w 3y agoYes, I know. NIF's lasers are, I'm told, less than 1% efficient; modern lasers can be 50%-80% if that's what is being optimised for. There's no reason to bother upgrading those lasers until all the other issues are solved, and even then, as it's an experimental facility not a power station, they may well never bother even if it is the only thing holding them back from a gain of more than 1 as measured wallplug-to-wallplug.