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Nuclear fusion start-up backed by Jeff Bezos to build first reactor in UK
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
A nuclear fusion start-up backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has picked Oxfordshire for its pilot nuclear plant in a bid to create a new source of abundant clean energy. General Fusion, a Canadian start-up, is hoping to crack the problem of using the power at the heart of stars to generate electricity. Nuclear fusion involves the binding of atoms together at temperatures 10 times hotter than the sun, rather than traditional fission, which involves splitting atoms. The process should release vast amounts of carbon-free energy without harmful nuclear waste.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/06/17/nuclear-fusion-start-up-backed-jeff-bezos-build-first-reactor/ You will need a subscription for the full article. |
 Dave JacksonSend message Joined: 15 May 09 Posts: 4345 Credit: 16,528,667 RAC: 5,893 |
BBC article here Though I am old enough to have seen articles suggesting nuclear fusion is only 10-15 years away from commercial viability for quite a while! |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
Though I am old enough to have seen articles suggesting nuclear fusion is only 10-15 years away from commercial viability for quite a while! Yes. But this is Jeff Bezos. He does not throw money away on research projects. It is still high risk, but not a shot in the dark. PS - If you want an overview of the recent developments in fusion, this is a good series. It was originally free, but the later ones are now paid. https://asiatimes.com/fusion-energy/ |
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JIM Send message Joined: 31 Dec 07 Posts: 1152 Credit: 22,081,549 RAC: 2,094 |
Good Luck to them. I'll believe it when I see it. |
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Send message Joined: 18 Jul 06 Posts: 4 Credit: 5,584,738 RAC: 0 |
Yep. Exactly. |
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Send message Joined: 5 Aug 04 Posts: 1060 Credit: 16,537,510 RAC: 2,015 |
Nuclear fusion involves the binding of atoms together at temperatures 10 times hotter than the sun, rather than traditional fission, which involves splitting atoms. The process should release vast amounts of carbon-free energy without harmful nuclear waste. Safe, clean energy: too cheap to meter? I heard this stuff (about nuclear fission reactors) before, in the 1950s. What could possibly go wrong? 
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
If they can't do it in Britain, we will do it in the U.S. https://www.eetimes.com/helion-energy-achieves-key-fusion-milestone/ |
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Send message Joined: 10 May 20 Posts: 50 Credit: 3,356,491 RAC: 437 |
The question I ask myself is how long it’ll take to fully research and comprehend fusion technology so that it will be ready for global scale deployment. And will this technology be safe to use before it is fully matured? One glimpse in our understanding or fusion reactor design could prove detrimental. And even more so, I do see this as a if not the major tool for clean and efficient energy, but we are in urgent need to act right now and start decarbonisation of industries, traffic and electricity generation. And a fusion reactor does not help matters now but only in a few years time... until then we’ll be forced to handle climate change with what we have. Meanwhile Europe is heavily investing in fusion technology research as well. |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
Meanwhile Europe is heavily investing in fusion technology research as well. They are doing ITER. It is the dinosaur of fusion. |
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Send message Joined: 10 May 20 Posts: 50 Credit: 3,356,491 RAC: 437 |
You're right Jim! ITER is a dinosaur but it also was never intended to produce energy in the first place: Although ITER itself will not produce electricity, DEMO - the device that will follow - will likely model a real future fusion power plant and produce electricity, with the goal of fusion electricity in the grid by 2050. See: Why the EU supports fusion research and innovation (European Commission) But research is slow and many roadblocks still lie ahead. That is why small business research grants are a key tool to drive innovation. The aforementioned/linked website provides a great overview of the broad palette of programs that the EU currently runs to advance our understanding of this technology. Here is another great look on how complex and diverse the current research landscape surrounding fusion technology is in Europe. This is taken from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics: Fusion research in Europe. I don't know a lot about the cutting-edge research being done atm and what private companies are involved but private-public partnerships will likely play a huge role in the future to accelerate fusion technology research. Just know of a company called Marvel Fusion that is said to make large progress and is based near Munich, Germany. They were able to convince Prof. Siegfried Glenzer from Stanford to join the team not long ago who is one of the top experts in the field. |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
Thanks. Putting smart minds together will help. But they will have a practical solution long before the large-scale projects even get results. Then they can follow up with scientific studies if they want to. |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
Here is another discussion of the General Fusion project, along with a number of other startups. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/06/24/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up You will need an account to read it, but it is free. |
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Send message Joined: 10 May 20 Posts: 50 Credit: 3,356,491 RAC: 437 |
Thanks Jim for sharing! Looking forward to reading this tonight. |
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Send message Joined: 10 May 20 Posts: 50 Credit: 3,356,491 RAC: 437 |
Helios Energy is said to build a pioneering fusion energy facility in Everett with the goal of building the world’s first commercial fusion power facility. Expected completion date: early 2022 (Seattle Times). Exciting news :) |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
Great stuff! I think the "completion date" can be taken with a grain of salt; maybe they will get a plasma by then, but not much more. However, the fact that private investors in the U.S. are willing to spend money on it shows that they think the basic science is far enough along, and it is just an engineering project now. That is still VERY ambitious, but it gives signs of hope. |
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Dave Jackson Send message Joined: 15 May 09 Posts: 4345 Credit: 16,528,667 RAC: 5,893 |
Great stuff! I think the "completion date" can be taken with a grain of salt; maybe they will get a plasma by then, but not much more. I don't think there has been a lot new in the science of fusion. It has been an engineering problem for a long time now. |
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JIM Send message Joined: 31 Dec 07 Posts: 1152 Credit: 22,081,549 RAC: 2,094 |
BBC article here Dito! I’ll believe in fusion power when it comes on line. Nuclear Fusion has been “just around the corner” since about 1950. Apparently it is a verrrry long block to reach that corner. |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
I don't think there has been a lot new in the science of fusion. It has been an engineering problem for a long time now. Then ITER is spending a huge amount of money for no conceivable purpose. They will barely get to breakeven, and will leave the engineering challenges to the next version. But it is not my money. |
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Send message Joined: 10 May 20 Posts: 50 Credit: 3,356,491 RAC: 437 |
In the end we are all in this together. The sooner this technology gets from its infancy to real world deployment and will thereby help to decarbonize energy production, the better. Surely many unknowns are yet to be figured out. The safety issue, affordability, scalability, etc. |
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Send message Joined: 15 Jan 06 Posts: 637 Credit: 26,751,529 RAC: 653 |
China broke the record by keeping the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) by achieving plasma temperature at 120 million Celsius for 101 seconds and 160 million Celsius for 20 seconds, a major step toward the test run of the fusion reactor.https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1224755.shtml |
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