Thread: Nuclear Fusion

I've just watched the BBC Horizon programme on nuclear fusion and it fascinated - and *annoyed - me. I kind of knew about it before, but the show seems to believe it is right around the corner - science 'proven' to work by 2011-2013 and actual power stations by 2030-2040, which may be a bit optimistic

But do you think we will eventually get commercial nuclear fusion power stations?

If so, which do you think is the more likely version; a Z-Machine type, or plasma JET/ITER design?


*the fact that Britain spends more money on ringtones than it does on fusion research really annoyed me

its all about economy if we found a cheap way to make energy we would stop buying petrol.An nuclear fusion is hard it self,because you need extreme heat to do so(that how the sun works) and what i heart we need more energy than the prosses produces . i dont think its around the corner. It might get ready soon but they will keep it close until we run out of petroll :P

Originally Posted by JasonP

but they will keep it close until we run out of petroll :P

Who are they?

The problem with the JET system at present is the plasma containment. It takes huge magnets to confine the plasma to the thin cross section needed to maintain the high temperatures, the problem is, the larger the magnet the slower it's response to changes required to control the ring. A bit like the larger the bird the fewer beats per minute of it's wings. So there is a trade off, much of the research at present is about refining the things they can do. The temperatures required for fusion here on earth are many magnitudes higher than those required in the sun, this is mostly because at the center of the sun the pressure is many millions of times greater than we can produce here. High pressure or temperature is required - the breakthrough may come with new materials capable of higher pressures. Fusion can at present be sustained for several seconds at JET - itis a reality, it just needs one more breakthrough.

Moderator note,

Certain posts of this thread has been moved to:

http://www.thescienceforum.com/Nuclear-Fusion-(pseudo)-17322t.php