I find it interesting that you think the Navy would want to somehow keep a fully functioning fusion reactor under wraps as some form of state secret. That is what we are talking about here - making the results classified so they cannot be discussed outside of cleared channels.scareduck wrote:Bussard's device, if it ever is made to work, was financed with Navy dollars, though Bussard himself (and presumably, his estate) holds the patents to the devices, which puts EMC2 Corp. in an interesting legal position. But I'm sure the Navy has other levers they could use to prevent its "premature" commercialization.
As has already been said, there is enough open-source info out there that EMC2's primary research focus is on polywell fusion, that if EMC2 suddenly started making tons of money (and even a private company's financial records are not guarded nearly as closely as would be, say, the engineering designs for a better-than-breakeven reactor), people would figure it out.
On the other hand, in the current political climate, an announcement to the world by the US Government that we have a technology that would drastically reduce the world-wide dependence on fossil fuels, would be irresistable to the political elite. In light of the tensions over Iran and suggesting a different direction for their nuclear program. In light of the whole carbon-footprint and AGW controversy. In light of the cost of oil. In light of the potential for turning such a reactor into a space-lauch vehicle (that last one is why I became aware of the Bussard designs and started lurking a couple of months ago - still trying to understand all the physics). And especially in light of the upcoming election cycle in America. I just don't think that if we get WB-7, then -8, then whatever that surpasses breakeven, that it would not be announced all over the world.
Maybe I am just not jaundiced enough to believe that there would be some conspiracy to keep such an event a secret. On the other hand, since I am still in the Navy, working in acquisition, I also find the notion amusing that the government has all these powers to keep secrets - or would want to.
As I said in the beginning, the engineering drawings could be classified, or merely proprietary. I doubt anyone involved would just hand them out. There is too much money on the line.
But... Even 1/1000 of 1% of all gross energy sales in the world would make the patent holders extremely wealthy - without ever using the working reactor as any kind of political leverage. The benefits IF this things can be made to work should be shared by all of mankind. But that is not to say the folks involved can't make a few bucks in doing so!
Be Safe
Mumbles