3 ms·

Producing net-energy is a different story than collecting net-energy. NIF just blows up a canister with a pellet and takes forever to reload a shot. On the ot

Producing net-energy is a different story than collecting net-energy. NIF just blows up a canister with a pellet and takes forever to reload a shot. On the other hand, an at-least-as-promising technology like Dense Plasma Focus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dense_plasma_focus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dense_plasma_focus) is still receiving minuscule funding. I'm hoping to be able to meaningfully support DPF and other fusion technologies soon. DPF has my attention so far because of its scaling characteristics.

gizmo686 13y ago
What does producing energy mean if not collecting it? The conservation of Energy tells us that we are not actually producing any energy, rather we are converting energy from the mass of the reactants (hopefully into electricity). If you consider the energy converted from mass to be produced, then it is impossible to do nuclear fusion without producing net-energy (as long as you stay on this side of lead).
- hetman 13y ago
  Yes but in the real world there are inefficiencies. We can't even transfer energy efficiently enough into the reaction yet to get a net energy gain from the fusion reaction. And once you reach that milestone, you still have to make transfer of the yield energy into useful work efficient enough to make the whole thing productive. Efficient energy transfer is hard!
- kansface 13y ago
  Producing does not imply the ability to do useful work (power steam turbines).
DennisP 13y ago
LPP is planning a crowdfunding campaign for their DPF experiment, so you'll be able to support them soon if you like. http://www.lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2013&month=08&day=07&id=100%3Aplanning-for-crowdfunding-campaign-underway&Itemid=90 http://www.lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/index.php?option=c...
- knappador 13y ago
  I tried introducing them to crowdhoster =) Anyone with the appropriate networking, please do your thing.

gizmo686 13y ago

What does producing energy mean if not collecting it? The conservation of Energy tells us that we are not actually producing any energy, rather we are converting energy from the mass of the reactants (hopefully into electricity). If you consider the energy converted from mass to be produced, then it is impossible to do nuclear fusion without producing net-energy (as long as you stay on this side of lead).

hetman 13y ago
Yes but in the real world there are inefficiencies. We can't even transfer energy efficiently enough into the reaction yet to get a net energy gain from the fusion reaction. And once you reach that milestone, you still have to make transfer of the yield energy into useful work efficient enough to make the whole thing productive. Efficient energy transfer is hard!
kansface 13y ago
Producing does not imply the ability to do useful work (power steam turbines).

DennisP 13y ago

LPP is planning a crowdfunding campaign for their DPF experiment, so you'll be able to support them soon if you like. http://www.lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2013&month=08&day=07&id=100%3Aplanning-for-crowdfunding-campaign-underway&Itemid=90 http://www.lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/index.php?option=c...

knappador 13y ago
I tried introducing them to crowdhoster =) Anyone with the appropriate networking, please do your thing.