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Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#411

Post by pnt12 »

scovetta wrote: post #384

This is super cool, but I didn't see how much energy was put into the system in order to generate the output 57 MW, and whether the output energy was all usable (e.g. could the team have actually boiled 60 kettles of water?). It'd also be useful to know how whatever energy is needed to run the machine would be expected to scale as the output is increased. Don't get me wrong, fusion (IANANP) seems to be the best appro…

>I didn't see how much energy was put into the system in order to generate the output 57 MW

It's in the article: 500 MW. Scientists hope further experiments move into breaking even and later having net gains.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#412

Post by oneplane »

soperj wrote: post #294
ambrozk wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? He dedicates huge amounts of money to worldwide public health, and is giving away the vast majority of his fortune over the course of his life. Why shouldn't I hold such a person in high regard?

From other comment > I mean, start with why his wife is divorcing him (Jeffery Epstein) and why he's no longer on the board at Microsoft(inappropriate relationships with staffers), then go into how he's screwed up public schooling in the US, then Microsoft under him. That's the easy stuff that you can see publicly.

Just because he as a prick doesn't mean the investment into fusion energy is therefore prick-ish...

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#413

Post by advisedwang »

moron4hire wrote: post #406
advisedwang wrote: post #348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Water has a specific heat capacity of 4184J/kg/C. Lets say to get to the boil you need to go from 20C to 100C and that a kettle holds 1.75L. 59MJ / (80C * 4184J/kg/C) = 176kg ~= 176L ~= 100 kettles. Water has a latent heat of vaporization of 2260 kJ/kg. So to boil it dry: 59MJ / (80C * 4184J/kg/C + 2260 kJ/kg) = 22kg ~= 22L ~= 12 kettles. I have no idea what the journalist calculated.

Did you factor in the inefficiencies of the power distribution grid and the heating element of the kettle? I'd say the journalists are just repeating what they've been told by the scientists, and the scientists factored inefficiency in on a calculation similar to your first.

Nope, I didn't factor in anything like that. Also kettle's don't actually heat every ml to 100C so there's some fudge in the other direction. I mostly was just getting nerdsniped.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#414

Post by dboreham »

jjoonathan wrote: post #389
1024core wrote: post #372

It's not a massive energy output - only enough to boil about 60 kettles' worth of water. ... The British and their penchant for tea...

Did the British go with 240V because it makes tea faster? I don't know the history... but I want to believe.

Nice idea, but I believe it was due to lack of lawyers.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#415

Post by Symmetry »

AtlasBarfed wrote: post #102
prohobo wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sadge. But I think this is the best bet for sustainable and clean energy, so why not put all the enthusiasm we can into it? A breakthrough is a breakthrough, and that's good news.

What? We have the best bet for sustainable and clean energy. Wind and Solar. They soon will beat natural gas for cheapest unsubsidized LCOE, and considering all fossil fuels are shadow-subsidized, that's huge. Fusion needs to prove is can be cheaper than old-crappy-pressurized solid rod fission first, which is right now getting killed by alternative energy. I was a big LFTR stan for a while. But wind/solar has won. K…

Wind and solar are great but they use up a lot of space and ideally we'd have more electric power than can be provided with just those two.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#417

Post by jedberg »

jjoonathan wrote: post #389
1024core wrote: post #372

It's not a massive energy output - only enough to boil about 60 kettles' worth of water. ... The British and their penchant for tea...

Did the British go with 240V because it makes tea faster? I don't know the history... but I want to believe.

I think you mean 230V, but it was picked because it's more efficient and cheaper (you can use smaller wires for the same output).

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#418

Post by louwrentius »

throwaway5752 wrote: post #399

As the article itself states: In the words of my colleague Jon Amos: "Fusion is not a solution to get us to 2050 net zero. This is a solution to power society in the second half of this century."

Sorry for being like this but what I like most about that remark is the joyful optimism that there will be a society to power in the first place, and secondly one that can (still) build and operate such technology.

Edit: maybe I’m needlessly pessimistic but I feel societies are much more fragile than they seem. We had it unreasonably good in ‘the west’ for the last 77 years but that time span is so short in the grander scheme of things, it gives a false sense of security.

In some part, due to societal changes, schisms, injustices, the increasing distrust that eats at the foundation of society,

At some point, there may be nothing worth left to power with nuclear fusion.

Although I start to wonder if we should keep powering a lot of things in today’s world. There is so much needless unnecessary madness going on.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#419

Post by yurishimo »

pkaye wrote: post #367

What do people think of this critique of nuclear fusion power? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ4W1g-6JiY

The couple of videos I watched above your comment seem to take this into account. I think that's why the aim is for a Q > 10 rather than just being content with Q > 1.

Re: Major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy

#420

Post by danny_taco »

soperj wrote: post #265

Quoted post unavailable.

Despite his flaws as a human being and damage done by Microsoft in the 90's, overall his contributions to humanity greatly exceed his shortcomings. What are your contributions to humankind? Have you done anything to make the world a better place?

The answer is, probably not, or at least not as much as Bill. So be wary of passing judgement to others so easily lest you be judged yourself.

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