UK joins laser nuclear fusion project

UK joins laser nuclear fusion project

www.bbc.co.uk

"Our goal is to have ignition within the next couple of years," he said.

"We've done fusion at fairly high levels already. Even on Sunday night, we did the highest fusion yield that has ever been done."

Dr Moses said that a single shot from the Nif's laser - the largest in the world - released a million billion neutrons and produced for a tiny fraction of a second more power than the world was consuming.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This a subject that has been ridiculed by many and thought to be unachievable in our lifetime , indeed some say impossible. I'm talking about clean and cheap energy. This a slightly different take on it, but by god it is going to work.

Read the snippet above and the whole article if you have the time , and then tell me this is a hoax. It is not.

"for a tiny fraction of a second more power than the world was consuming."

If they get this working , Power will be plentiful for all, and completely clean.


www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

The UK has been doing fusion reasearch like this for many years already, i know, ive been round the rutherford labs and seen their peta watt laser (very imprerssive kit, straight off a sci fi movie, in fact some Dr who eps were actually filmed there!!). Also the new diamond syncrotron, which is on the same site.

Down the road, not even 20 miles away, is the JET project thats been researching a superheated plasmas held in a matgetic field, which ive also been to look at.

Its nice to that countries are working a bit closer togther on this new project, no doubt using everything we have learnt so far.

It's a step in the right direction. No Nuclear waste and cheaper alternative to the current Nuclear Energy strategy.

Good, it's about time we invested in this technology.

Wind power is a non starter in my book. Too expensive and total blot on the landscape. Solar power? Well they seem to have made some advances, but still not nearly efficient enough, particularly in the U.K.

reply to post by rigel4

Dont worry, I am sure Greenpeace will be able to whip up some scare campain to stop it dead in its tracks.

Originally posted by SirMike
reply to post by rigel4

 

Dont worry, I am sure Greenpeace will be able to whip up some scare campain to stop it dead in its tracks.

edit on 9-9-2011 by SirMike because: (no reason given)

Anything with Nuclear in the title will always scare the living daylights out of Green Peace.

However, lasers are the way forward. If it's good enough for Goldfinger, it's good enough for Cobaltic!!

this stuff intrigues me to the point i have so many questions. like what happens to the energy they produce that dosent get used when they are doing these tests? how will they store unused energy if this does go to being used in energy plants or is there just going to be a purge like system? i had more questions but i forgot a few when i was typing.

reply to post by SpunGCake


If history repeats andother tech upgrade: It will be a laser on some material below a water tank that boils to steam which drives some turbines that power the laser and the country.

Originally posted by Biigs
reply to post by SpunGCake

 

If history repeats andother tech upgrade: It will be a laser on some material below a water tank that boils to steam which drives some turbines that power the laser and the country.

Whoo!! It's Friday night, I am indulging in a few glasses of the Red stuff and you have gone all scientific on me!!

Although I agree with every word you just said. Peace.

Fusion is FUNDAMENTAL in humanity's future.

After all, what do humans do best? - Think. With near limitless power available for new inventions, those little brains of yours will be able to freely go into overdrive and finally achieve your potential!

Because the energy that is created is also dissipated. If you start the engine of your car with a few ounces of gas and then it quits, then what energy are you trying to store? The fule has been consumed.

Originally posted by SpunGCake
this stuff intrigues me to the point i have so many questions. like what happens to the energy they produce that dosent get used when they are doing these tests? how will they store unused energy if this does go to being used in energy plants or is there just going to be a purge like system? i had more questions but i forgot a few when i was typing.

How NIF works..

Originally posted by rigel4
"for a tiny fraction of a second more power than the world was consuming."

For comparison the Sandia Z-Machine detailed on wikipedia
"releases 80 times the world's electrical power output for about seventy nanoseconds"