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Speeding the development of fusion power to create unlimited energy on Earth
Can tokamak fusion facilities, the most widely used devices for harvesting on Earth the fusion reactions that power the sun and stars, be developed more quickly to produce safe, clean, and virtually limitless energy for generating electricity? Physicist Jon Menard of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has examined that question in a detailed look at the concept of a compact tokamak equipped with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. Such magnets can produce higher magnetic fields – necessary to produce and sustain fusion reactions – than would otherwise be possible in a compact facility.
Menard first presented the paper [open, DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2017.0440] [DX], now published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, to a Royal Society workshop in London that explored accelerating the development of tokamak-produced fusion power with compact tokamaks. "This is the first paper that quantitatively documents how the new superconductors can interplay with the high pressure that compact tokamaks produce to influence how tokamaks are optimized in the future," Menard said. "What we tried to develop were some simple models that capture important aspects of an integrated design."
The findings are "very significant," said Steve Cowley, director of PPPL. Cowley noted that "Jon's arguments in this and the previous paper have been very influential in the recent National Academies of Sciences report," which calls for a U.S. program to develop a compact fusion pilot plant to generate electricity at the lowest possible cost. "Jon has really outlined the technical aspects for much smaller tokamaks using high-temperature magnets," Cowley said.
(Score: 3, Funny) by ShadowSystems on Monday March 25 2019, @07:32PM (5 children)
I heard "Tokamak", I know what that is, but for some REALLY schtooooopid reason my brain kept shouting "Taco Bell!" over every "Tokamak".
So we get compact, portable, personal TacoBells that we can use to generate power?
Given the amount of gas I make after eating there, I'm fairly sure I'll be able to power most of North America just on my production capacity alone.
Add in every other American to the mix & we could make the entire world into either a neon Klieg rave light or a glowing toxic cloud...
Then I read the bit about ratios.
Oh great, as if the 3:2, 16:9, 16:10, 4:3, X:Y zealots don't have enough to argue about?
*Comical eye roll*
Ignore me, I'm off my meds...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @09:45PM
McDonalds already has methane collectors under the seats in the dining area that they use to cook your Big Mac.
(Score: 4, Funny) by c0lo on Monday March 25 2019, @10:11PM
Your farts may become superconductive [wikipedia.org] if you compress them strong enough.
So, go ahead with those TacoBells but tighten your ass, man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 26 2019, @01:01AM
Toke a Mac?
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Thursday March 28 2019, @01:21PM (1 child)
I keep reading tomahawk instead of tokamak. And I'm like "compact, portable, personal tomahawks are already a thing. Why's this on this site? Maybe they mean the missiles?"
(Score: 1) by ShadowSystems on Thursday March 28 2019, @01:33PM
Mini, portable, personal missiles?
SIGN ME UP!
=-D
What I couldn't (shouldn't) do with one of those.
(Checks My Skippy's List...)
Damn it, that one is already on here...
What about... (checks) ...Damn it, that too!
How about... CRAP! I'm Not Allowed to do that either?
Then what about... Son. Of. A. FROG! I can't have any fun anymore!
*Comical pout*
Nevermind, My Skippy's List is so damned extensive at this point there's entire CHAPTERS dedicated to various WMD.
*Sulks*