Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

[mvanwink5]

Because of the results from Trenta, we know how to build the machines that will produce net electricity from fusion

No equivocation in that summary statement. The issue going forward is setting up the manufacturing line, which they are doing, it is not about the 'science' anymore.

[Skipjack]

Quite frankly, I think that (unlike what many people perceive) fusion has been less of a science problem than an engineering problem for maybe 3 decades now. At least for Toks, we knew that we would (very likely) be able to build one that would make energy. But the problem is making it economic with Tritium breeding, first wall damage, etc.
Helion went the other way. They looked at it as an engineering problem from the start.
Engineers, they make things that solve problems. Scientists, they keep finding them

[crowberry]

The new video on Youtube on Helion Energys Trenta by Real Engineering has been published at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38. It is interesting to see Trenta for the first time.

[Skipjack]

The new video on Youtube on Helion Energys Trenta by Real Engineering has been published at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38. It is interesting to see Trenta for the first time.

Yep! I saw it earlier, but was too tired to make a post. Great to see Trenta for the first time in full glory and with people in the shot to give a better impression of the size. It looks smaller than I had imagined, tbh.
Interesting about Trenta's radius being too small. Given that, it is surprising that it performed as well as it did.
Another thing that surprised me was the energy content of the powerbank. I thought it would be quite a bit less (more like 500 to 700 Wh rather than 2.8 kWh).

They made a couple of mistakes:
1. The result of D-T fusion is not He3, but He4.
2. They might have not understood it right, or maybe the animation just is not completely clear, but the two FRCs merge to form a single, hotter and more stable FRC rather than a disorganized mess of particles after collision.

Otherwise, it is great to see Helion have that much presence lately. All the videos I have seen combined give them some 7 million views so far and this one will likely add a few million more.

[paperburn1]

WOW! now for Q=10

[Skipjack]

WOW! now for Q=10

They wont need that high of a Q. I think their power plants will be around 3.

[RERT]

Hats off to these people, that's a great video.

Looking forward to 2024!

[AcesHigh]

According to Wikipedia, Polaris will be able to produce 1 pulse per second for short periods, and Helion expects it to have net electricity production (not net "energy")

But there are already designing a new prototype called Antares... will Polaris be commercial or will only Antares be commercial?

[usesbiggerwords]

Quite frankly, I think that (unlike what many people perceive) fusion has been less of a science problem than an engineering problem for maybe 3 decades now. At least for Toks, we knew that we would (very likely) be able to build one that would make energy. But the problem is making it economic with Tritium breeding, first wall damage, etc.
Helion went the other way. They looked at it as an engineering problem from the start.
Engineers, they make things that solve problems. Scientists, they keep finding them

David Kirtley said as much in the video, that the power and control electronics and fast microprocessors that allow them to accomplish what they have didn't even exist 20 years ago. I saw nothing that would violate basic physics (or my meager understanding of it), including the much-discussed rotational instabilities.

[jrvz]

According to Wikipedia, Polaris will be able to produce 1 pulse per second for short periods, and Helion expects it to have net electricity production (not net "energy")

But there are already designing a new prototype called Antares... will Polaris be commercial or will only Antares be commercial?

I believe they expect Polaris to generate net electricity, but it would be the next machine (8th generation) that would be commercial. It will run at a yet higher pulse rate (he mentioned 0.1 s), and they'd have much more heat to contend with in capacitors, structure, etc. (There may be a market for that machine, but I expect they'll learn a lot from it, and that the following generation will be considerably better.)

I was interested in the concept of designing separate machines for D-D reactions (to synthesize He3) and for D-He3 reactions (to make electricity). They'll also be making T, but I expect they will be selling that rather than waiting around for it to decay into He3.

They found the gyroradius was larger than they expected, so they've made Polaris 25% larger than originally planned. Were their plans neglecting the ability of a high beta plasma to exclude the magnetic field?

I saw one error in the animation at about 27:00 into the video, which seemed to show the two FRCs being formed with opposite polarity. They actually have to have current in the same direction, so after the collision they can form a single hotter FRC. I doubt that the Helion physicists got a chance to review that animation.

[Skipjack]

But there are already designing a new prototype called Antares... will Polaris be commercial or will only Antares be commercial?

The Antares part is wrong. Antares is the name of their manufacturing plant and new headquarters. The commercial machine is currently not named, at least not officially.

I was interested in the concept of designing separate machines for D-D reactions (to synthesize He3) and for D-He3 reactions (to make electricity). They'll also be making T, but I expect they will be selling that rather than waiting around for it to decay into He3.

They are not 100% sure yet which way they will go. A lot of it depends on things outside of their control, e.g. regulation. Currently it looks like they might decide to at least some separate D-D machines.

I saw one error in the animation at about 27:00 into the video, which seemed to show the two FRCs being formed with opposite polarity. They actually have to have current in the same direction, so after the collision they can form a single hotter FRC.

Actually both polarities will merge into a single FRC and opposite polarity seems to work better, from what I remember.

[AcesHigh]

Well it would make sense if Antares was the name of the machne itself, considering they are creating Polaris right now... and both are names of stars that well, as we all know, do fusion in their cores.

[Skipjack]

Well it would make sense if Antares was the name of the machne itself, considering they are creating Polaris right now... and both are names of stars that well, as we all know, do fusion in their cores.

No, because Antares is the name of their factory. Ursa is the name of the building that will house Polaris.
I literally asked David about it and he said that the Forbes article got it wrong. Unfortunately these magazines don't bother posting corrections.

[Carl White]

The star Polaris is a part of the constellation Ursa Minor, so housing the machine Polaris in the building Ursa makes sense.

But Antares is the name of a star that is part of the constellation Scorpius. Why not name the manufacturing building Scorpius then to produce their commercial Antares-class machines.

Ok, I'm picking nits. Antares is a fine name for their building.

[Skipjack]

The star Polaris is a part of the constellation Ursa Minor, so housing the machine Polaris in the building Ursa makes sense.

But Antares is the name of a star that is part of the constellation Scorpius. Why not name the manufacturing building Scorpius then to produce their commercial Antares-class machines.

Ok, I'm picking nits. Antares is a fine name for their building.

Because the successor will not be housed in Antares, but a new building. Antares just is where they build the machines.