Skunk Works' Exotic Fusion Reactor Program Moves Forward

Over my life time and probably yours how many times have we heard that a fusion breakthrough was just months or a few years away; send money ! I do figure if anyone can pull off a real breakthrough it will be the Skunk Works of Lockheed.
www.thedrive.com...

Full title is : Skunk Works' Exotic Fusion Reactor Program Moves Forward With Larger, More Powerful Design

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works is building a new, more capable test reactor as it continues to move ahead with its ambitious Compact Fusion Reactor program, or CFR. Despite slower than expected progress, the company remains confident the project can produce practical results, which would completely transform how power gets generated for both military and civilian purposes.

Aviation Week was first to report the updates on the CFR program, including that Lockheed Martin is in the process of constructing its newest experimental reactor, known as the T5, on July 19, 2019. The company's legendary California-based Skunk Works advanced projects office is in charge of the effort and had already built four different test reactor designs, as well as a number of subvariants, since the program first became public knowledge in 2014. The War Zone has been following news of this potentially revolutionary program very closely in recent years.

"The work we have done today verifies our models and shows that the physics we are talking about – the basis of what we are trying to do – is sound," Jeff Babione, Skunk Works Vice President and General Manager, told Aviation Week. "This year we are constructing another reactor – T5 – which will be a significantly larger and more powerful reactor than our T4."

a reply to: 727Sky

The old sales pitch - were nearly there - send more money! We gotta pay our administrator and assistants. You know, we don't work for free.

My thoughts,

bally

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: 727Sky

The old sales pitch - were nearly there - send more money! We gotta pay our administrator and assistants. You know, we don't work for free.

My thoughts,

bally

Well that is the way these things get done.
Imagine the income they'll generate if they crack stable fusion overunity(more power out than in).
I for one would love to see it happen in my lifetime, it would pretty much solve earth's energy needs plus it will make space alot more accessible.

originally posted by: BlackIbanez

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: 727Sky

The old sales pitch - were nearly there - send more money! We gotta pay our administrator and assistants. You know, we don't work for free.

My thoughts,

bally

Well that is the way these things get done.
Imagine the income they'll generate if they crack stable fusion overunity(more power out than in).
I for one would love to see it happen in my lifetime, it would pretty much solve earth's energy needs plus it will make space alot more accessible.

Oh, I agree, go for it.

It reminds me of something similar in the 70's which is still progressing today. "in 5 years we'll have a cure for cancer we just need the funds." (Meanwhile, 2 trillion dollars later and some rich administrators)

I had a mate who rode a bicycle around Australia. He raised $25,000 for cancer research. Good job. But that ain't anywhere near the annual holiday pay for the administrator. Send more money, we need to pay for more adds and telephonists and create another job for a fill in assistant administrator while the other is over in Greece.

I went a little off topic here but my point is. Nearly there is not good enough for me. Either do it or don't. Don't advertise for funding with a good administrator who is a word smith.

Sorry for raving on, but my thoughts. I just want to see results not "We're nearly there!" (Otherwise, we're out of a job)

Kind regards,

bally

originally posted by: bally001

originally posted by: BlackIbanez

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: 727Sky

The old sales pitch - were nearly there - send more money! We gotta pay our administrator and assistants. You know, we don't work for free.

My thoughts,

bally

Well that is the way these things get done.
Imagine the income they'll generate if they crack stable fusion overunity(more power out than in).
I for one would love to see it happen in my lifetime, it would pretty much solve earth's energy needs plus it will make space alot more accessible.

Oh, I agree, go for it.

It reminds me of something similar in the 70's which is still progressing today. "in 5 years we'll have a cure for cancer we just need the funds." (Meanwhile, 2 trillion dollars later and some rich administrators)

I had a mate who rode a bicycle around Australia. He raised $25,000 for cancer research. Good job. But that ain't anywhere near the annual holiday pay for the administrator. Send more money, we need to pay for more adds and telephonists and create another job for a fill in assistant administrator while the other is over in Greece.

I went a little off topic here but my point is. Nearly there is not good enough for me. Either do it or don't. Don't advertise for funding with a good administrator who is a word smith.

Sorry for raving on, but my thoughts. I just want to see results not "We're nearly there!" (Otherwise, we're out of a job)

Kind regards,

bally

I saw an interesting graphic recently that showed how quickly fusion would have come to fruition had it been funded at the level of the Manhattan Project then showing different completion timelines at lesser funding levels.
Unfortunately though funding has been pretty much stagnated at 1960's levels meaning progress is painfully slow.
Almost seems criminal when compared to how much weapons research and development receives for example.
I'll sée if I can find the graphic again.
Edit: found the graphic, here's a Wikimedia link, not sure how to add image here...
fusion funding graphic

It is commendable on how far they have come with the little funding that has been invested. If it was a hoax as some think then I very much doubt that all the private companies would be building there own right now.

a reply to: Grimpachi

It probably isn't a hoax, however the so called black projects, in which no one has a clue what is going on, has had practically limitless funding for decades

a reply to: 727Sky

I love what these guys are doing. I saw video on the Lockheed effort a year ago.

However, I like what these guys are doing better:

brillouinenergy.com...

They seem really close to me to becoming a commercial reality. Of course, at some point Big Oil will come in and shut them down.

a reply to: dfnj2015

As long as we have an economy based on continuous growth and expansion any alternatives that collapse that model will never see the light of day.

a reply to: BlackIbanez

That graph made me sad.

Lockheed provided no dates or no data, just a "in the 2020s" for their TX demo CFR.

Check out what I posted over here, on my fusion thread. That is the real breakthrough! Generating 10^10 neutrons from a fusion reaction is beyond what anybody else has achieved.

It looks like while Lockheed is playing around somebody else has demonstrated nuclear fusion!

But like there are many different types of motors, we will probably see many different types of fusion devices. Especially if they figure out the laser version as that would seem more portable.

a reply to: 727Sky

I hope this comes to fruition for the public but I doubt it will any time soon - and reading this reminds me of some Ben Rich quotes.

I actually buy the validity of the argument to keep stuff like this locked up deep in the black project world much more than I used to. I have to assume that anything I can get my hands on, in theory, so could other humans with a much darker agenda than I have - which isn’t comforting. Plus you get the added bonus of everyone else relying on what’s now very old tech (oil driven engines, for instance) while you have something way bigger up your sleeve.

That said, I really hope this comes to fruition sooner than later!

originally posted by: Zcustosmorum
a reply to: Grimpachi

It probably isn't a hoax, however the so called black projects, in which no one has a clue what is going on, has had practically limitless funding for decades

This is a topic I have had immense interest in for years and have tried to stay up to date on. You are not wrong about the black projects and it is practically criminal how underfunded Fusion has been.
Fusion reactors are immensely expensive to build but once built they are shoestring budgeted. Many in the field have said that getting a stable fusion reaction is the same as trying to order chaos. They have made breakthroughs increasing the time of stable fusion but they are finding in many cases that the reactors are not up to the task and because building new ones are so expensive they are stuck learning as much as they can from the flawed designed ones they have. Yet they are still getting closer to accomplishing their goal using what is available.
They have learned that certain wave frequencies help stabilize fusion or adding certain elements have a positive effect. One group took apart an old reactor and roughly reversed the design and was able to create stable low-intensity fusion. A new reactor would need to be built to see if that held in high-intensity fusion but there is a lack of funds.
Some private companies have stepped in and are building new reactors based on the designs that people in the field have been saying have the best chance to work. I would really like to see stable fusion accomplished in my lifetime. It is possible but there will be many more failures before it succedes and the time frame for success is very dependent on the funding for new designs.

a reply to: 727Sky

Good Stuff.
S&F