Lockheeds Compact Fusion

Compact Fusion Reactor
Is this the answer to generating clean energy?
Or are we closer to developing tractor beams and teleporters than harnessing fusion power?
Any ATS users up on this technology?

www.lockheedmartin.ca...

It’s no secret that our Skunk Works® team often finds itself on the cutting edge of technology. As they work to develop a source of infinite energy, our engineers are looking to the biggest natural fusion reactor for inspiration – the sun. By containing the power of the sun in a small magnetic bottle, we are on the fast track to developing nuclear fusion reactors to serve the world’s ever-growing energy needs.

More than 50 years ago, nuclear power through fission was the excitement of its day. People tried using it to power almost everything, even planes. In the end, operational hurdles prevented fission from widespread use. While fission continues to power our nuclear reactors today, fusion offers a cleaner, safer source of energy.

I read up a week ago. Since last year, they are in a "Gen II Phase". Comments indicated the gadget was overrated and oversized. 2040 was a more plausible date line.

I'm no expert though.

Pretty sure the bad guy built one of these in a spider man movie in an abandoned warehouse,
These guys can't build one with an unlimited budget?


In all seriousness, a fusion reactor sounds both really cool and really terrible at the same time. Anything that runs hit enough to convert basically any material into plasma gas could have interesting surprise failure modes and side effects.

My guess, though, is that is futile to build one on the planet surface. Without using the seemingly magical forces of gravity, I don't know how you would get enough energy out to cover the energy it would take to run the magnetic field to contain it.

Lawrence Livermore Labs has been working on magnetic bottle contained fusion since the 1970's and are still actively pursuing it. I know people working there now. That work may have produced Gen one?

ein.iconnect007.com...

The video from your Lockheed link.
Great explaination of this developing tech:

google John Adair on youtube, He did it as a boy in 1971. Not anything new to see here, move along.

They were talking about fusion reaction in the 1970's with tokamaks. Everyone has their experimental reactor that can run for a few seconds while consuming Megawatts of power and generating some in return. But veryone has the same problem - they need strong enough magnetic fields to contain the plasma, but those magnetic fields will push apart the containment structure. That in return requires extra strong metals that can withstand long periods of use. Then the magnetic fields try to twist and pinch into singularities (like twisted ribbon). Then there are problems with magnetic eddies at the edges. The reactor also needs to generate more power that is required to maintain the magnetic fields. Eventually they will get there.

The more funding you have, the more research gets done. Some problems get solved, others are discovered. Usually it follows a bell curve, so at some point you are solving more problems than you are finding and eventually you have a working system.

a reply to: D8Tee

What? News of pending developments from the Skunk Works?
Did they change their operating parameters after half a century and now want to talk about what they are building?

Humm. Now they have me wondering what is inside that secretive "space plane" that has been in orbit for over a year.

a reply to: Aliensun

Usually when lockheed makes an announcemeent its because its safe to do so.

Usually because theyve already had operational models of the technology for a while.


As for the secret space plane in orbit. It doesnt test a fusion reactor. Its doing something else

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Aliensun

Usually when lockheed makes an announcemeent its because its safe to do so.

Usually because theyve already had operational models of the technology for a while.


As for the secret space plane in orbit. It doesnt test a fusion reactor. Its doing something else

well remember they announced this last year as well. So they must have had a infusion of cash to bring it back up again.

a reply to: yuppa

It was 2014 when the first announcement was made. Methinks that it was ten years old hat at that point.. so they got clearance for a delayed release point.

2020 seems to be the date for fusion to be announced.

It is on its way!

a reply to: BASSPLYR

no, this time they said they were seeking partners and funding. That means the management is trying to find a nice way to throw it overboard.

If it were really close to working, they would be looking for customers, because they would turn into the largest corporation on the planet, bigger than Saudi Aramco, if it worked.

I wish it weren't true but unfortunately I think I am right.

originally posted by: mbkennel

I wish it weren't true but unfortunately I think I am right.

Rather odd behavior for SW though. Usually they won't reveal, well, anything to the public to amount to beans. But to announce this when they didn't actually have it in hand seems like all down side and no up.