Unlimited electricity from seawater within 15 years?
Discussion
Heard this item about nuclear fusion on the Today prog this morning. Does anyone on here with the relevant knowledge think this is possible/realistic, especially within the timescales quoted?
Could this possibly be genuine "too cheap to meter" electricity the way nuclear fission was meant to be?
Could this possibly be genuine "too cheap to meter" electricity the way nuclear fission was meant to be?
Sounds too good to be true. I'll believe it when it's here.
If they can have a working proof of concept within 18 months is it really going to be 10 years before we see it on the market? I would've thought just about every government on the planet would want to throw money at it after that.
If they can have a working proof of concept within 18 months is it really going to be 10 years before we see it on the market? I would've thought just about every government on the planet would want to throw money at it after that.
I'm assuming they are still goin to use steam and steam turbines to actually generate the leccy. Afterall it's one of the most efficient set ups we have , very efficient.
If so then knowing how much they cost and how expensive they are to service and replace ( thankfully replacement is often 20 years) then it can't be free electricity.
It might be essentially free from a fusion material -> energy output sense ( ie lots of energy for minimum fuel) but you gotta pay for the structural engineering, the operation, maintainance and distribution of the electricity. So it will be far from free... But the fuel prices should be less volatile and we shouldnt see this yo yo effect we have now.
As for 15 years? Well Im not so sure. I hope so. They are building ITER in France right now, a proper size toroid reactor. They must know something we don't or else they wouldn't be trying it on the larger scale. They are afterall aimin for 50MW in, 500MW out.
If so then knowing how much they cost and how expensive they are to service and replace ( thankfully replacement is often 20 years) then it can't be free electricity.
It might be essentially free from a fusion material -> energy output sense ( ie lots of energy for minimum fuel) but you gotta pay for the structural engineering, the operation, maintainance and distribution of the electricity. So it will be far from free... But the fuel prices should be less volatile and we shouldnt see this yo yo effect we have now.
As for 15 years? Well Im not so sure. I hope so. They are building ITER in France right now, a proper size toroid reactor. They must know something we don't or else they wouldn't be trying it on the larger scale. They are afterall aimin for 50MW in, 500MW out.
Otispunkmeyer said:
I'm assuming they are still goin to use steam and steam turbines to actually generate the leccy. Afterall it's one of the most efficient set ups we have , very efficient.
If so then knowing how much they cost and how expensive they are to service and replace ( thankfully replacement is often 20 years) then it can't be free electricity.
It might be essentially free from a fusion material -> energy output sense ( ie lots of energy for minimum fuel) but you gotta pay for the structural engineering, the operation, maintainance and distribution of the electricity. So it will be far from free... But the fuel prices should be less volatile and we shouldnt see this yo yo effect we have now.
As for 15 years? Well Im not so sure. I hope so. They are building ITER in France right now, a proper size toroid reactor. They must know something we don't or else they wouldn't be trying it on the larger scale. They are afterall aimin for 50MW in, 500MW out.
Hahaha 50MW in 500MW out Hahaha :here: yeah rightIf so then knowing how much they cost and how expensive they are to service and replace ( thankfully replacement is often 20 years) then it can't be free electricity.
It might be essentially free from a fusion material -> energy output sense ( ie lots of energy for minimum fuel) but you gotta pay for the structural engineering, the operation, maintainance and distribution of the electricity. So it will be far from free... But the fuel prices should be less volatile and we shouldnt see this yo yo effect we have now.
As for 15 years? Well Im not so sure. I hope so. They are building ITER in France right now, a proper size toroid reactor. They must know something we don't or else they wouldn't be trying it on the larger scale. They are afterall aimin for 50MW in, 500MW out.
HundredthIdiot said:
Eric Mc said:
Works for the sun (and most stars). It's harnassing the energy that is the problem.
I think the lack of mass is the big problem.On the smaller scale needed in a power station, the pressure has to be created some other way. I assume that is where the lasers come in.
Eric Mc said:
Nature relies on masss to great the immense pressure needed for the fusion process to start working.
On the smaller scale needed in a power station, the pressure has to be created some other way. I assume that is where the lasers come in.
I think the lack of gravitational pressure means that you need higher temperatures to overcome repulsion forces, which takes energy, and additional means of confinement, which takes energy. So achieving net energy is harder.On the smaller scale needed in a power station, the pressure has to be created some other way. I assume that is where the lasers come in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_core
"Peak power production in the Sun's center, per volume, has been compared to the volumetric heats generated in an active compost heap. The tremendous power output of the Sun is not due to its high power per volume, but instead due to its gigantic size."
odyssey2200 said:
thinfourth2 said:
V88Dicky said:
Abundant cheap energy for the masses. The enviro-mentalists will absolutely HATE it!
Where do I sign?
They are already against it Where do I sign?
We can't have people moving out of their caves, can we?
te a lot of the time Digga said:
odyssey2200 said:
thinfourth2 said:
V88Dicky said:
Abundant cheap energy for the masses. The enviro-mentalists will absolutely HATE it!
Where do I sign?
They are already against it Where do I sign?
We can't have people moving out of their caves, can we?
The science is settled .......apparently
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