Fusion News, August 14, 2024

Dr. Leigh Ann Kesler, fusion consultant, gives today's Fusion News update - summarizing the major recent headlines in fusion energy. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.
1. Bill Gates-backed Type One Energy lands massive seed extension to commercialize fusion power
techcrunch.com...
2. South Korea to invest $866M in fusion energy development
www.neimagazin...
3. Fusion Closer to Reality as Scientists Smash Density Limit by Factor of 10
www.scienceale...
4. Helion secures license for Polaris fusion
www.neimagazin...
5. Nuclear fusion prototype will be 'UK's Nasa moment'
bbc.com/news/a...
Bonus:
The secret force for limitless energy? Lasers - TED Talk by Tammy Ma
www.ted.com/ta...
Celebrating ignition through art at City Center Bishop Ranch
www.llnl.gov/a...
Zap Energy targets fusion power without magnets, Claudia de Rham on the beauty of gravity
physicsworld.c....

[@johnbash-on-ger]

3:10 in Japan the minister of economy trade and 3:12 Industry announced plans to revise a 3:14 road map for their National strategy for 3:16 fusion power to demonstrate electricity 3:18 Generation by the 2030s instead of the 3:21 original date set in 2050 Wow, that's much sooner!

[@jjeherrera]

3:31 The physics of the Greenwald limit isn't well understood, although it is has been hipothesised that it may be due to the destabilisation of magnetic islands in the outer region by radiation losses. This may be enhanced by the local Ohmic heating. Since this wouldn't happen in stellarators (no Ohmic heating) they lack a Greenwald limit, and have been able to achieve densities in the range of 10^21 m^{-3}, roughly one order of magnitude greater than in tokamaks. One extra point for stellarators!

[@helmutzollner5496]

That is excellent news. Finally a commercial stellarator startup. Hope they will show a working reactor soon.

[@mrhassell]

The Wendelstein 7-X (abbreviated W7-X) reactor is an experimental stellarator built in Greifswald, Germany, by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), and completed in October 2015.

[@helmutzollner5496]

@@mrhassell yes, I know and follow it as closely as possible through it's news letters. As you say it is a very promising experimental reactor. So, I hope that a commercialization of the concept will yield a reactor that is able to generate electricity. The W7X is after all a research project and lacks the pressure for success of a commercial startup. So I hope yo see some positive outcome here soomer.

[@mrhassell]

@@helmutzollner5496 It's very frustrating the time delays!

[@dissaid]

Morning!

[@johnbash-on-ger]

If the higher density achieved with the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) is related to it's thick, conductive walls. Maybe future tokamaks will gain a third set of magnets in an equatorial pattern/location as an equivalent. Also, maybe, aside from the wall and high resistance plasma, it's also related to the symmetry of the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST).

[@rossco12]

Great update 👍🏻

[@mrhassell]

India had a breeder reactor in the 50s, had their work in Fusion stalled for decades. In the last few years, they've contributed more papers on Thorium than any other nation and by now are only producing < 10% of the entire national energy supply. From one of the most advanced nations. There are too many setbacks and delays in this industry!

[@richardsmith7721]

Excellent, thanks for the report.

[@johnbash-on-ger]

What if the symmetrical shape of the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) is what allows for the higher density?

[@alicekibbe]

Nice presentation, thanks

[@johnbash-on-ger]

How do the output and Q(plasma) value of a tokamak scale in function of the plasma density?

[@digitalplayland]

No industrial applications yet.

[@deanlawson6880]

Great FIA News update! I'm very interested in following the developments of Helion Fusion and their progress in advancing their form of Fusion energy. I believe they will be one of the very early actual providers of Fusion Power for use in Industry. They already have contracts to provide Fusion power for Nucor Steel, and also for Microsoft for their AI and Data Center use. I fully expect to see these 2 separate use cases being powered by Helion's Fusion reactors in the next few years!! Thanks for this update!

[@jesusistheopendoor]

you're just reading slides

[@durandol]

I thought her eyes looked a little weird, being off to the side rather than looking at the camera.

[@alanfolmsbee4916]

Dear Dr. K. please summarize quark theory usage in fusion corporations. For example: "No plans are announced for using quarks, Higgs, W or Z particle theories in the fusion industry."

[@petercrossley1069]

Need to improve clarity of diction. Too many rushed and indistinct phrases.

[@RoyPounsford]

I am starting to think with the advance of renewals and especially Solar I'm starting to think the need for Fusion energy is a question mark.

[@iantaylor230]

I think that fusion is needed more than ever to provide baseload power and stability for our grids.

[@Ic3q4]

then you clearly don't know what you are talking about, no offense sir but thats just ludacris.

[@rayzsome8852]

Human kind is using more an more energy every month. Now we have mobiles with 5G technology. 7G will need multiple times the energy 5G is using. And that's 1 of a million possible examples. If we had a switch that could force all developments on planet earth focussing on reducing consume of energy then we might be able to survive with solar and wind power I guess. But the idea of slowing down in general is not welcome on planet earth. Development of technologies works like an uncontrolled explosion.

[@billdavis5483]

Waste heat from fusion will heat the planet some. Solar does not.

[@billdavis5483]

​@@Ic3q4Every watt of fusion energy is a watt of heat going into the heat of the planet whether it is waste heat or useful heat. Every watt of solar is net of zero watts going into the planet as heat

[@garyphillips3552]

Way to get more money out of the government.

[@Ic3q4]

Dr. Kesler :3 you need a better microphone!