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| Science & Technology |
| Fusion progress: Japanese tokamak smashes record plasma duration time |
| 2006-05-13 |
| The Yomiuri Shimbun The Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced Tuesday that its JT-60 tokamak had extended its plasma duration time to 28.6 seconds, smashing the world record of 16.5 seconds it achieved in 2004, an achievement that bodes well for the future of fusion energy. As part of an international project, Japan, European countries and the United States are expected to construct the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in France by 2015. The goal is a plasma fusion reaction of more than 400 seconds, which would create 10 times more energy than that used to heat atoms in the experiment. Because the latest JT-60 test nearly doubled the former record, it is thought likely the ITER will meet its target as it has the same basic structure as the JT-60. Plasma duration time is a fusion energy realization indicator. The JAEA used new parts in the JT-60, having improved its capability to hold the plasma in its powerful toroidal magnetic field. Plasma is an ionized gas composed of free-floating ions, electrons and neutral particles. While substances change state from solid to liquid to gas as temperatures rise, at very high temperatures atoms are transformed into plasma, composed of ions and electrons. A plasma is considered a state of matter distinct from solid, liquid or gas. One gram of deuterium (also known as heavy hydrogen) and tritium in a plasma state leads to nuclear fusion, and is expected to produce as much energy as eight tons of petroleum. |
| Posted by:john |
| #13 How much are dilithium cystals? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-13 18:08 |
| #12 Are you saying B2's are cheaper by the dozen? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-13 16:41 |
| #11 Be careful of the B2 effect in cost estimates. If the production process scales well the cost could drop percipitously. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2006-05-13 15:45 |
| #10 Tritium costs about $100,000 per gram to produce! From: http://www.fusion.ucla.edu/ITER-TBM/ITER-TBM2/Tritium%20Supply%20Considerations.ppt "Conclusions: * Tritium available for fusion development will likely begin to diminish rapidly during the next 35 years * Fusion should be developed expeditiously to take advantage of this unique opportunity * Development of D-T fusion must be carefully planned world-wide taking into account available tritium" |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-05-13 15:08 |
| #9 Okay, it turns out that deuterium is only $1.50/liter. Stock up now. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-05-13 14:56 |
| #8 Fusion is a black hole for government research funds and has been since the 1950s. And by 2015, the ITER in France will be located in a Muslim country anyway. And if you think deuterium and tritium are free, try buying a bottle. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-05-13 14:52 |
| #7 maybe it is time for hubby to stand up to the powers that be and refuse to use the gov't card and use our private one instead. In PERT that's referred to as CTc, Constant Time to Completion. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-13 14:13 |
| #6 Will antimatter beat fusion to being a power source? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-05-13 12:59 |
| #5 Fusion has been 20 years away for several decades now. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-05-13 12:56 |
| #4 So it will cost nearly nothing to make seemingly endless amounts of electricity? What do you want to bet your power bill won't do anything but go up anyway. |
| Posted by: Slinelet Jomolet1407 2006-05-13 11:06 |
| #3 It's only 20 years away, away, away, away. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-13 10:41 |
| #2 Woohoo! Only a couple of $Bn per second. |
| Posted by: Phiter Phavilet5544 2006-05-13 09:02 |
| #1 an achievement that bodes well for the future of fusion energy. In my grandchildren's liftimes (maybe). It's a great technical achievement, but otherwise just more energy independence wishful thinking. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-05-13 08:42 |