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Renewables
#51
(10-17-2014, 09:12 PM)Cray Wrote:
(10-16-2014, 10:50 PM)Fsci123 Wrote: I'm skeptical... But if they succeeded...

This announcement is atypical of Skunk Works. Normally they have a working prototype to show off by the time they announce their results.

Frankly, I'm willing to bet they've come down with a common fusion researcher syndrome, Robertbussarditis. This is a condition where your back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate you'll achieve miracles in a short period because your idea is the greatest ever.

So, I'm responding to this like I am to eCat: I'll check back in a year and see how things are going.

Regarding fusion in small (as in smaller than a ten-storey building) units, it looks to me (I have a science degree but I'm no engineer) that DPF (dense plasma focus) fusion shows more promise than any of the Polywell variants. It looks as if the units might be as small as a large domestic fridge and cost maybe $50k, to start - of course, if production ramps up they will get cheaper and may get smaller.

Advantages include; much nearer to a working prototype, next to no neutrons (a different reaction is used) and perhaps of most interest to members and guests here, a reasonably easy route to making a fusion rocket out of it.

Of course, the resultant availability of 500km/sec torchships brings its own set of problems...
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Messages In This Thread
Renewables - by xsampa - 09-19-2014, 11:38 AM
RE: Renewables - by Cray - 09-19-2014, 12:31 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-19-2014, 06:22 PM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-20-2014, 12:09 AM
RE: Renewables - by FrodoGoofball - 09-19-2014, 11:44 PM
RE: Renewables - by Cray - 09-20-2014, 12:32 AM
RE: Renewables - by FrodoGoofball - 09-20-2014, 03:30 AM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-20-2014, 05:42 AM
RE: Renewables - by FrodoGoofball - 09-20-2014, 06:28 AM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-20-2014, 06:53 PM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-20-2014, 08:55 AM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-20-2014, 06:34 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-20-2014, 07:04 PM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-20-2014, 09:42 PM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-20-2014, 09:36 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-20-2014, 10:54 PM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-20-2014, 11:42 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-21-2014, 12:54 AM
RE: Renewables - by Dalex - 09-21-2014, 01:15 AM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-21-2014, 01:19 AM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-21-2014, 05:28 AM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-21-2014, 02:36 AM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 09-21-2014, 03:11 AM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-21-2014, 03:36 AM
RE: Renewables - by kch49er - 09-21-2014, 10:16 PM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-22-2014, 04:24 AM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-22-2014, 07:56 AM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-22-2014, 11:13 AM
RE: Renewables - by kch49er - 09-22-2014, 05:43 AM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-22-2014, 06:17 AM
RE: Renewables - by kch49er - 09-22-2014, 07:57 AM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-22-2014, 11:29 AM
RE: Renewables - by radtech497 - 09-22-2014, 04:17 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 09-22-2014, 08:57 PM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 09-22-2014, 08:22 PM
RE: Renewables - by kch49er - 09-22-2014, 08:37 PM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 09-22-2014, 11:47 PM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-23-2014, 12:40 AM
RE: Renewables - by radtech497 - 09-23-2014, 02:49 AM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 09-23-2014, 08:25 AM
RE: Renewables - by xsampa - 09-23-2014, 10:44 AM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-23-2014, 01:00 PM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 09-24-2014, 01:26 PM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 10-09-2014, 11:15 AM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 10-10-2014, 06:41 AM
RE: Renewables - by Drashner1 - 10-10-2014, 11:23 AM
RE: Renewables - by Fsci123 - 10-16-2014, 10:50 PM
RE: Renewables - by Cray - 10-17-2014, 09:12 PM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 01-13-2015, 06:59 PM
RE: Renewables - by Rynn - 01-13-2015, 09:49 PM
RE: Renewables - by iancampbell - 01-14-2015, 01:17 AM
RE: Renewables - by kch49er - 10-18-2014, 09:04 PM
RE: Renewables - by tmazanec1 - 01-13-2015, 12:38 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 01-13-2015, 08:55 PM
RE: Renewables - by Rynn - 01-13-2015, 09:56 PM
RE: Renewables - by stevebowers - 01-13-2015, 09:12 PM
RE: Renewables - by Dalex - 01-14-2015, 05:21 AM

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