Article

2008-05-29 Science & Technology

A Fusion concept gets Serious private sector Funding

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Posted by mhw 2008-05-29 12:38|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Actually, the technology is much, much different from typical fusion, using a boron-11/hydrogen mix pressed into pellets that are fused using a unique way of generating a high density plasmoid (ball of plasma) that encases the pellet. The product is a stream of ionized helium nuclei with no free neutrons whose energy can be converted to direct current using a wire coil. No tritium required, and virtually no radioactive products. Details here.

Very promising. The Chileans helped work on the prototype, and most of the development work was in developing a plasma focus device and fuel delivery system that would produce a continuous output of Helium nuclei.

Picture two double-wide mobile home-sized buildings housing primary and backup generators producing enough megawatts to power a 10,000 pop town. Hell, the phone company can get into the power production business.

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2008-05-29 14:51|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2008-05-29 14:51|| Front Page Top

#2 Just another bit of evidence that something...something is coming that is going to rip the rug out from under the oil sheiks. We won't expect it and they won't either, but it will be a game changer. The creativity of the human mind is certainly something to marvel.

Posted by remoteman 2008-05-29 16:14|| 2008-05-29 16:14|| Front Page Top

#3 The Bussard concept also uses boron 11 and protons.

Check out the Google tech talks for the talk Doc Bussard gave there 18 months ago. An hour and a half of great entertainment. Doc died last year but his work goes on. Search for WB-7. A team is working on the concept and have working harware where they hope to prove beyond doubt that the concept can scale to nett power production, which won't require all that large a device.

Posted by Aussie Mike 2008-05-29 17:45|| 2008-05-29 17:45|| Front Page Top

#4 I should mention that the Bussard concept should work even easier with D-D or D-T fusion which has its problems but is way better than nothing.

Posted by Aussie Mike 2008-05-29 17:47|| 2008-05-29 17:47|| Front Page Top

#5 This is why I do NOT believe in the Peak Oil/Peak Energy mythos : every time that an energy source gets too difficult or expensive, another one is developed with a decade or two; or, improvements are made to extraction/production of the existing energy source. Land-based oil extraction became a problem, and offshore oil was developed. Also, steam extraction and re-pressuring of oil wells was developed for low flow and/or heavy oils. The technology for replacing oil has been getting a serious look at since the 1970s and a lot of new technologies are coming on line.
Now there is just the political problems to deal with -- the Greenies. They don't like nuclear, hydropower, coal, coal conversion, or any of the present usable technologies.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2008-05-29 21:33|| 2008-05-29 21:33|| Front Page Top

#6 You have to ATTRACT in order to REPEL/FORM.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-05-29 22:42|| 2008-05-29 22:42|| Front Page Top

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