3 ms·
Inertial confinement fusion like the NIF is not intended to run continuously, so the 2ns duration is irrelevant. The surface area for the calculation is not th
by fallingknife 2y ago
Inertial confinement fusion like the NIF is not intended to run continuously, so the 2ns duration is irrelevant. The surface area for the calculation is not the surface area of the machine, but the surface area of the volume in which the fusion is occurring which could be very much smaller than that.
The heat loss is practically limited by the mass of hydrogen fusing in the machine. To have a continuous heat flux of 10^21 watts you would need to fuse ~4*10^5 kg of hydrogen every second. Which clearly these machines are not intended to do.
- credit_guy 2y agoYou raise some good points. > Inertial confinement fusion like the NIF is not intended to run continuously, so the 2ns duration is irrelevant. Indeed. I do think ICF has a future. The issue I described applies to machines that attempt to achieve sustained fusion. Pulsed fusion is ok. > The heat loss is practically limited by the mass of hydrogen fusing in the machine. Yes, but it goes the other way too. If the heat loss is to high you can't sustain fusion because you can't stay at the required temperature for long enough.