[ RadSafe ] Nuclear fusion coming soon

[Chris Hofmeyr]

J Preisig, Radsafers,

Just as physics makes fusion work in the stars, it conspires to make it
difficult in jars or other containers. I'm afraid it's not much use making
tritium in advance - for the same reason it needs replacement in weapons -
namely decay. Or maybe you are just a super optimist about the time frame? I
understand the real trouble starts when they get the beast to work, namely
material problems. The vessel walls will apparently suffer radiation
embrittlement in a very short time. To have your energy in the form of very
fast neutrons is more than a bit daunting, and to fire up reactions that
produce only charged particles, is so much more difficult. The 'clean' fusion
dream just does not seem realistic. A real pity.
Luckily I'm no expert. So, with a bit of serendipity - who knows?

chris.hofmeyr at webmail.co.za

On Sun, 3 Jul 2011 23:56:28 -0400 (EDT) JPreisig at aol.com wrote

> Hmmmmm,
> 
> 
> In a message dated 7/1/2011 1:08:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> denferguso at state.pa.us writes:
> 
> Actually, we probably could "bank on it" if the program was  properly
> funded.
> 
> I was a rad tech at Princeton's TFTR during the D-T  test shots: they were
> getting some really interesting results while I was  there. Things like the
> record temperature, enhanced reverse shear mode  magnetic fields, six-Tesla
> shots, and some interesting self-insulating of the  plasma fields. We even
> had a purification system to recover unburned tritium  from the exhaust
> gases. And this was in the 90's, using mostly 1970's  technology. No
> superconducting magnets, etc. I often wonder how much further  we'd have gone
> with all
> the new advances on the machine. But the funding  wasn't there for the
> upgrades.
> 
> There's little industrial funding going  to fusion projects, because
> industry is tied to the current fission  technologies, which I personally
> feel are
> less safe than fusion. We had  "disruptions" (loss of magnetic containment)
> on the system. It was no big  deal, and there was no decay heat problem. I
> worked in the TMI2 cleanup and in  commercial nuclear power, so I am aware
> of nuclear safety.
> 
> Yes,  it's difficult to control essentially a miniature star in a jar...
> but I have  confidence in the folks at Princeton, UW-Madison, LANL, ITER and
> other  projects. The Manhattan Project took theory to practical in a short
> period of  time. I think we're up to it.
> 
> Lack of vision? It could cost us.  Developing new technology to become
> energy independent is a worthwhile  project. If we want the economy to
> improve,
> research will provide us the tools  to do it. If fusion is to become viable,
> we need to adequately fund tokamak,  inertial confinement, and other fusion
> test projects. Not just laugh at it.  Consider it an investment in the
> future.
> 
> My humble opinion and not  necessarily that of the management!
> 
> Dennis E. Ferguson | Radiation  Protection Program Supervisor
> PA Dept of Environmental Protection - Bureau  of Radiation  Protection
> denferguso at pa.gov
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