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US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

energy.gov

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Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#71

> LLNL’s experiment surpassed the fusion threshold by delivering 2.05 megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target, resulting in 3.15 MJ of fusion energy output, demonstrating for the first time a most fundamental science basis for inertial fusion energy (IFE) Yesterday, everyone was complaining about the 2.2:2.0 ratio, but now we're working with 3.15:2.05. With modern lasers, that'd be a total Q of 0.375 assuming 100% ef…

The Q needs to be something like 500 to 1000, not because of energy breakeven, but to produce enough energy that the shot is financially positive. The amount of fusion energy produced in this shot is worth a penny or two.

(And even then, it's dubious a laser fusion scheme will be competitive with other energy sources.)

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#72
post #17

"...a game-changer for efforts to achieve President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy". That's the best outcome you can think of as a result of possible free energy?

Thank you, Saint Biden, for doing the bare minimum for the ability to slap your name on it.

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#73

Here's your most exciting paragraph > LLNL’s experiment surpassed the fusion threshold by delivering 2.05 megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target, resulting in 3.15 MJ of fusion energy output, demonstrating for the first time a most fundamental science basis for inertial fusion energy (IFE). Many advanced science and technology developments are still needed to achieve simple, affordable IFE to power homes and busines…

I would love to see "fusion Manhattan project", this planet is well overdue for new gigantic R&D projects such as Manhattan and Apollo.

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#74
post #66

I hate to ask this, but have to ... is there any danger of these discoveries being weaponized easily by hostile countries? i.e. does this make unconventional weapons more accessible to countries who otherwise have embargoes on technology and material to make atomic weapons?

Oops, answered my own question I guess:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_fusion_weapon

That ain't good. Although fusion is clearly the future of energy, we have to get our sh*t together on earth so we don't kill ourselves off or devolve with endless wars. Or give up and use fusion to leave the planet efficiently.

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> tritium is ridiculously expensive, at $30k per gram D-T fusion almost always breeds tritium in the blanket.

Would that mean that you wouldn't need titium to start with? Or that tritium deposits would replenish? How would it affect the rough calculations above?

I would also wonder if Titium is that expensive... and it generates titium... would that be part of the "break even" equation? Creating something rare to sell?

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#76
post #66

I hate to ask this, but have to ... is there any danger of these discoveries being weaponized easily by hostile countries? i.e. does this make unconventional weapons more accessible to countries who otherwise have embargoes on technology and material to make atomic weapons?

> is there any danger of these discoveries being weaponized

Any advance in energy production or propulsion has a weapons counterpart.

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#77
post #66

I hate to ask this, but have to ... is there any danger of these discoveries being weaponized easily by hostile countries? i.e. does this make unconventional weapons more accessible to countries who otherwise have embargoes on technology and material to make atomic weapons?

Fusion bombs (H bombs) have existed for a long time.

Re: US Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

#79

2022, not ordered by importance: Dall.E 2, Chat-GPT, Fusion Ignition. Can't wait for 2023.

Putting these in the same basket is hardly justified.

No, first two will use third. Nikola Tesla dreamed of free energy for the world. I don't think they dream the same... So entropy will go down now?
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