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The Stellarator design has proven to be stable and to produce net positive energy. We are actually only $20B away from having a fully functional nuclear fusion

by ocean2 2y ago

The Stellarator design has proven to be stable and to produce net positive energy. We are actually only $20B away from having a fully functional nuclear fusion reactor.

samatman 2y ago
Not really, unfortunately. The progress has been heartening, don't get me wrong, but it's more like $20B away from getting to the first steps of solving the next set of problems on the road to a fully functional fusion generator. Those are fairly substantial. It's past time to stop being cynical about "ten more years every ten years", but it's also way too soon to declare victory.
- mjamesaustin 2y ago
  And ultimately, fusion doesn't solve the hardest problem with energy today which is cost. Solar already provides unlimited clean energy, and it took decades of development for the cost to drop to a competitive rate. Even if we had a functioning fusion plant tomorrow, it will likely cost WAY more per kWh and require decades of iteration and improvement to become economically feasible.
  - whamlastxmas 2y ago
    I would wonder if solar plus the absolute massive battery reserves you’d need for a data center ten times bigger than the current worlds largest would still be cost effective versus a single fusion reactor
    - jay_kyburz 2y ago
      I wonder how that cost would compare to putting your solar and data center in space? (with non stop solar pointed at the sun) I wonder if cooling is easier or harder in space?
      - bostik 2y ago
        Harder. Vacuum is an excellent thermal insulator.
      - marcosdumay 2y ago
        > I wonder if cooling is easier or harder in space? It's harder. You can stop wondering. It gets easier if you run things hotter, up to the point that there isn't much of a difference at a few hundred °C (and keeps making no difference when hotter).
      - HDThoreaun 2y ago
        Can’t dissipate heat effectively in space
      - samatman 2y ago
        The Thermos is properly known as a "vacuum flask" (or Dewar flask).
QuadmasterXLII 2y ago
Fun fact: I was skeptical of your claim that this has been proven, so I googled “stellerator proven net positive” and this very comment was the first result

by ocean2 2y ago

The Stellarator design has proven to be stable and to produce net positive energy. We are actually only $20B away from having a fully functional nuclear fusion reactor.

samatman 2y ago

Not really, unfortunately. The progress has been heartening, don't get me wrong, but it's more like $20B away from getting to the first steps of solving the next set of problems on the road to a fully functional fusion generator. Those are fairly substantial. It's past time to stop being cynical about "ten more years every ten years", but it's also way too soon to declare victory.

mjamesaustin 2y ago
And ultimately, fusion doesn't solve the hardest problem with energy today which is cost. Solar already provides unlimited clean energy, and it took decades of development for the cost to drop to a competitive rate. Even if we had a functioning fusion plant tomorrow, it will likely cost WAY more per kWh and require decades of iteration and improvement to become economically feasible.
- whamlastxmas 2y ago
  I would wonder if solar plus the absolute massive battery reserves you’d need for a data center ten times bigger than the current worlds largest would still be cost effective versus a single fusion reactor
  - jay_kyburz 2y ago
    I wonder how that cost would compare to putting your solar and data center in space? (with non stop solar pointed at the sun) I wonder if cooling is easier or harder in space?
    - bostik 2y ago
      Harder. Vacuum is an excellent thermal insulator.
    - marcosdumay 2y ago
      > I wonder if cooling is easier or harder in space? It's harder. You can stop wondering. It gets easier if you run things hotter, up to the point that there isn't much of a difference at a few hundred °C (and keeps making no difference when hotter).
    - HDThoreaun 2y ago
      Can’t dissipate heat effectively in space
    - samatman 2y ago
      The Thermos is properly known as a "vacuum flask" (or Dewar flask).

QuadmasterXLII 2y ago

Fun fact: I was skeptical of your claim that this has been proven, so I googled “stellerator proven net positive” and this very comment was the first result