Another Fusion- Fision approach

[D Tibbets]

Tokamak's get alot of press. But another competing system is laser confinement. I just read the below link. They are getting close to testing. And, they have a plan (at least artwork) to make a fusion- fision hybird plant. Reportedly the laser ignited fusion pellets produce some energy and alot of neutrons that are amplified by beryllium and produces fission in uranium 238, uranium 235, plutonium, thorium,etc. The fision produces 80-90% of the power. A side benifit is that nuclear waste can be burned at the same time.
https://lasers.llnl.gov/missions/energy ... ture/life/

A Polywell (BFR) could operate in the same way. This would be highly attractive if the BFR does not have enough energy gain on it's own (Burning DD or DT) to be profitable.
The laser approach looks to be as far along / or ahead of the Tokamak and may be more economical/ pratical (I actually have no idea if this is true). Both, or all three would be large engeneering challenges. Of course, if the BFR can be made to work with boron it will leave the other two in the dust.


Dan Tibbets

[Helius]

In Nuclear weapons, Fusion is primarily used to change the Neutron economy first, and as an added energy 2nd. Fusion is used to drive the mass of the weapon downward to a more easily deliverable size.

Electric Generation of neutrons should be pursued as changing the neutron economy of Fission electrical generation plants also. It'd all be much clearer though if we were currently gaining experience with Molten Salt Reactors (MSR).

The comprehensive pursuit of MSRs, Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LIFTERs), Electric generation of Neutrons (like Polywell) and Fast Sprectum, Nuclear waste eating reactors, would clearly be a destabilizing game-changer, for the current Nuclear Industry, their friends at the NRC, The Coal Industry, and the Oil Industry. It'd also screw up the Russians, who are as vested in the current energy paradigm as any of the above energy industries.

We also have far too many people vested in the current paradigm. They advocate Solar, wind, biomass and Geothermal not because it is a road to a solution, but because it is NOT destabilizing to the current vested interests in energy.

[StevePoling]

The comprehensive pursuit of MSRs, Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LIFTERs), Electric generation of Neutrons (like Polywell) and Fast Sprectum, Nuclear waste eating reactors, would clearly be a destabilizing game-changer, for the current Nuclear Industry, their friends at the NRC, The Coal Industry, and the Oil Industry. It'd also screw up the Russians, who are as vested in the current energy paradigm as any of the above energy industries.

My daughter tells me her school project is to design a fast spectrum nuclear waste burning reactor. (I just like bragging on my little girl.) Go Blue.

[MSimon]

We also have far too many people vested in the current paradigm. They advocate Solar, wind, biomass and Geothermal not because it is a road to a solution, but because it is NOT destabilizing to the current vested interests in energy.

The same can be said of ITER.