E-cat: Fantastic new energy source.

[flecc]

So for example, experiments with nuclear fusion have involved firing high powered lasers at elements (I forget what exactly) suspended in a plazma to create a fusion reaction. There was a major breakthrough a few months ago when one of the research teams managed to generate more energy from the reaction that the laser consumed.

Achieving deuterium-tritium fusion is all very well but it's got many problems with regard to scaling up. First it's a "dirty" process that produces a large surplus of neutrons which irradiate the reactor. Secondly, the tritium it uses is prone to substantial leakage creating radiation hazards beyond the installation facility. Thirdly, tritium is not available in any quantity naturally so it will have to be produced artificially via a process using lithium. Unfortunately lithium is also a scarce resource already greatly in demand as we e-bikers well know.

As such, I think tritium-deuterium fusion is likely to be a research dead end, just a small step towards realistic success.

Probably what we really need is tritium-tritium fusion which is theoretically productive enough to make the tritium production worthwhile and is a rather "cleaner" process. As far as I am aware, we are still far away from achieving that at all, or it's alternative of deuterium-deuterium fusion.
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[Scimitar]

While this may very well be rubbish, I believe the point is that the input energy is what is required to start and maintain the reaction. The output is the energy generated by the reaction itself.

So for example, experiments with nuclear fusion have involved firing high powered lasers at elements (I forget what exactly) suspended in a plazma to create a fusion reaction. There was a major breakthrough a few months ago when one of the research teams managed to generate more energy from the reaction that the laser consumed.

Matt.

They've been managing to run fusion reactions at an energy profit for twenty years now - for a few millionths of a second. Recent developments were just another step along the road, but a feasibly working and successful sustaining fusion reactor is still a long way off.
I'd buy shares in the Indian and Chinese Thorium reactor companies once they start making commercial versions. Thorium is plentiful and we have enough to last a thousand years. Only reason the Thorium research programme was dumped back in the 50s/60s was there was no easy way for it to make bomb material. Such is the way of the world.

 

[flecc]

Indeed, thorium is a very good way forward. We should also stop worrying about current nuclear wastes and stop throwing away depleted uranium on battlefields. All those so-called waste materials should be preserved for eventual use in fast breeder reactors once the more easily accessed thorium path has been exploited.

We know we can do all this since it's been thoroughly proven. These are realistic ways to supply our energy at bearable costs for hundreds of years into the future, while also largely dealing with the bulk nuclear waste issue. Fusion by contrast could forever be a pipe dream.

 

[piotrmacheta]

I have the great fortune to work at the JET Fusion Research reactor and we produce loads of neutrons and energy in D-D and D-T reactions - about 30MW I think at max. The next big project (Worldwide collaboration) is being built in Caderache (near Grenoble) South of France and it is a bigger machine to ours, called ITER. It should produce continuous fusion rather than out 2 sec long pulses.
Fusion is progressing but it is slow, expensive work. I hope to see the fruits within my time on earth.
btw in out D-T reactions we once produced (the world record) about 50% of the energy we consumed! WOW.

 

[flecc]

I hope ITER is successful in that, but I'm still of the opinion that any future fusion generators of realistically useful power for general distribution are likely to be immense, both in scale and cost. I'd still like to see fission pursued to it's economic limits since the costs, although seemingly high, will be competitive with renewables and I believe much lower than fusion if that is achieved.

 

[piotrmacheta]

I'm a fan of fission power as well but the cost of rad-waste disposal and decommissioning are likely to keep costs high.

 

[cirrus18]

NEW NASA Video promoting LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) Cold Fusion is here!!!

NEW NASA Video promoting LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) spelling the end for traditional fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power.
NASA: We Are Working On Powerful New Energy Source – LENR |

NASA Direct link, http://technologygateway.nasa.gov/media/CC/lenr/lenr.html

 

[Willin']

NEW NASA Video promoting LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) spelling the end for traditional fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power.
NASA: We Are Working On Powerful New Energy Source – LENR |

I wondered when this would re-appear. Since this was first posted last year I've kept an eye on developments in this field as well as Andrea Rossi's E cat. I have just finished listening to this radio interview and found it fascinating:

The Space Show hosted by: Dr. David Livingston

Well worth a listen if you have the time ( I downloaded it onto my mp3 player).