WB-6 as example of the safety of polywell
Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:43 pm
One of the biggest initial problems for any fusion reactor design, will be public concern about the safety of a fusion reactor. They will probably, initially, think that fusion is like fission - dangerous, radioactive, risk of meltdown or explosion.
I remember when I first read about WB-6, and how there was a short in the reactor and it vaporized itself, my first reaction was, "Great, there's a ringing endorsement for safety - one of the prototypes blew up!"
But then I thought about it some more. One of the prototypes blew up - and it was no big deal. No one got hurt, there wasn't a big radiation leak that got on the evening news, the scientists working with it weren't exposed to dangerous levels of radiation (granted, the prototype was fairly small).
But, all in all, I think if there is any public worry/political resistance to PW fusion (if it works out, of course), everyone trying to promote the PW should point out the example of the explosion of the WB-6 and how it was no problem.
Heck, maybe EMC2, in conjunction with the DoE or someone, should at some point *purposely* blow up an operating commercial-scale PW reactor (like, maybe WB-D once they've gotten enough info out of operating it to show its viability and improve the design, etc), with the press invited to cover it, to demonstrate the safety to the public?
I remember when I first read about WB-6, and how there was a short in the reactor and it vaporized itself, my first reaction was, "Great, there's a ringing endorsement for safety - one of the prototypes blew up!"
But then I thought about it some more. One of the prototypes blew up - and it was no big deal. No one got hurt, there wasn't a big radiation leak that got on the evening news, the scientists working with it weren't exposed to dangerous levels of radiation (granted, the prototype was fairly small).
But, all in all, I think if there is any public worry/political resistance to PW fusion (if it works out, of course), everyone trying to promote the PW should point out the example of the explosion of the WB-6 and how it was no problem.
Heck, maybe EMC2, in conjunction with the DoE or someone, should at some point *purposely* blow up an operating commercial-scale PW reactor (like, maybe WB-D once they've gotten enough info out of operating it to show its viability and improve the design, etc), with the press invited to cover it, to demonstrate the safety to the public?