"The experimental results -- the degree to which the imploding liner maintained its cylindrical integrity throughout its implosion -- were consistent with results from earlier Sandia computer simulations," said lead researcher Ryan McBride."These predicted MagLIF will exceed scientific break-even."
Sandia researchers intend to test the fully integrated MagLIF concept by the close of 2013.
Temperature, density, confinement time: pick any two.
excellent. 2013 it is then for live fuel. see what happens.
will be a long while though before this becomes commercial, even if/when they hit Q. have long thought engineering challenges of imploding liner technology + energy take-off technology need to catch up - from production point of view also.
get the feeling whenever fusion does eventually hit the shops, it'll be rolled out in much the same way as fission - massive fuel processing/reprocessing, infrastructure and big bucks. military there too.
possibly only way it will happen - if enough traditional, big/institutional/governmental investors predict an adequate yield and a big enough/secure enough pot.
surprised the nuclear reprocessing industry aren't already investing heavily in it - they have the most to lose after all and are best positioned to take advantage. they must be feeling pretty vulnerable at present - post Fukushima/Chernobyl. must have gone tits up for them.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
Freak Gas Main explosion vaporizes half a residential block. Witnesses say destruction was preceeded by a really bright flash and what they thought was maniacal laughter. Lost in the blast was a local college physics student with a reportedly bright future. Authorities do not expect to find remains.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
choff wrote:Wonder if the FoFu folks have considered preheating the gas with lasers like Sandia?
Actually, LPPX-1 (I like that better than FoFu but that's just me ) has already exceeded boron fusion temps without expensive and finicky lasers.
They've achieved sufficient confinement time and temps and are working on density... which lasers can't really help with in a DPF device without trying to turn it into something else.
choff wrote:Wonder if the FoFu folks have considered preheating the gas with lasers like Sandia?
Actually, LPPX-1 (I like that better than FoFu but that's just me ) has already exceeded boron fusion temps without expensive and finicky lasers.
They've achieved sufficient confinement time and temps and are working on density... which lasers can't really help with in a DPF device without trying to turn it into something else.
good point.
LPP are still my personal favourite in the race.
but they've still got quite a lot of things to get right before they strike gold.
there's the whole business of funding, scaling up, etc, also.
still. nice problems to have. i hope they get there.