Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Point out news stories, on the net or in mainstream media, related to polywell fusion.

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Skipjack
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Skipjack »

Slow news lately, so just dropping a screenshot of David Kirtley's tweet about the milling machine and the Carina- facility here. For the people who are not on Twitter.
HelionCNC_Carina.JPG
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mvanwink5
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by mvanwink5 »

SJ,
There is a difference between just assembling a machine from parts sent in from others and setting up a manufacturing plant. The numerically controlled milling machine shown is what you buy when you are setting up a manufacturing plant to make the parts to make the fusion electric generator. Awesome.

Commercialization, manufacturing, is where Helion is heading post haste.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

crowberry
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by crowberry »

David Kirtley is giving this talk at the 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DPP22/Session/BO03.10.

He is also giving a talk at the event SOSV Climate Tech Summit Oct. 25-26, https://sosvclimatetech.com/star-power- ... on-energy/.

RERT
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by RERT »

"As will be shown, for all operating conditions above 20 keV, a high-beta D-He-3 FRC outperforms a low-Beta D-T plasma in terms of electrical and fusion power output."

Do I buy popcorn?

mvanwink5
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by mvanwink5 »

Direct conversion of plasma energy to electric energy is far more important than 'efficiency' (fuel cost for fusion, machine size). IMO the big issue is handling heat rejection and direct energy conversion, taking heat rejection from perhaps 60% rejected heat down to 5% for a direct conversion machine is a game changer in that it effects machine location (away from rivers, lakes, coast), eliminates cooling towers and their maintenance, etc.

Everyone is focused on just getting fusion to be commercial, but commercial is now a given. Now the issue is locating machines near the power use, and for that direct conversion will play a dominant role. (excluding fossil retrofits).
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Giorgio
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Giorgio »

RERT wrote:
Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:43 pm
"As will be shown, for all operating conditions above 20 keV, a high-beta D-He-3 FRC outperforms a low-Beta D-T plasma in terms of electrical and fusion power output."

Do I buy popcorn?
Too early for popcorn, it is still only a theoretical analysis.
A society of dogmas is a dead society.

kurt9
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by kurt9 »

mvanwink5 wrote:
Wed Aug 31, 2022 5:23 pm
Everyone is focused on just getting fusion to be commercial, but commercial is now a given. Now the issue is locating machines near the power use, and for that direct conversion will play a dominant role. (excluding fossil retrofits).
All of these ideas look promising. But I will not be convinced its real until they actually start generating power. Until that day come, I still favor Thorium MSR and LFTR fission power as the reliable energy future.

Skipjack
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Skipjack »

kurt9 wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:28 pm
All of these ideas look promising. But I will not be convinced its real until they actually start generating power. Until that day come, I still favor Thorium MSR and LFTR fission power as the reliable energy future.
Well for Helion it is only about 2 more years of wait time... give or take 6 months...

For ZAP, we will know of the thing has a chance of working (not electricity, but energy in vs out) in spring. Exciting times either way.

kurt9
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Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by kurt9 »

Well, for me, it looks like my employeer, and engineering design and consulting company, may be doing some work for Tri-alpha. It may involve system integration, which is what I do for a living.

Skipjack
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Skipjack »

https://twitter.com/Helion_Energy/statu ... JWTyW7rhTg
Our new capacitor manufacturing area has been installed! Here, we’re starting to manufacture Polaris capacitors in-house, speeding up our production capabilities.

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Skipjack
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Skipjack »

HelionCapacitorKitchen04.JPG
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mvanwink5
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by mvanwink5 »

I will point out once again, Helion is not just making Polaris to prove net electric power from fusion, they are making a fusion electric power generator FACTORY. Who else is so forward looking? Helion is accelerating commercial fusion in a real way. Not just about science, engineering, but generator manufacturing at scale. What more could we ask?
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Skipjack
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by Skipjack »

Well, I would say at least the first iteration of what a single factory street for producing fusion generators could look like. I assume that their experiences with that and Polaris will then help with mass production.

mvanwink5
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by mvanwink5 »

Well, I would say at least the first iteration of what a single factory street for producing fusion generators could look like. I assume that their experiences with that and Polaris will then help with mass production.
Yes, that is the exact process Musk is using for making the Starship factory.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

mvanwink5
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Re: Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

Post by mvanwink5 »

Elon Musk at it again (on Twttr) acting as if Fusion will not be practical, then hawking solar & batteries, which he sells coincidentally, as if they are the only practical solution.
This IMO borders on dishonesty. I provided links to Helion, Zap, GF, TAE to start with.
Fusion would be expensive energy, given difficulty of obtaining and transporting source fuel, plus maintaining the reactor. Far better to use the Sun – thermonuclear reactor with no need to refuel or service.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1567783902273540100
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

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