fusion results

[toddy]

as a few of you know i work for the UKAEA and we look after 2 fusion reactors

today we are anouncing the results

if anyone is interested it is here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60312633

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Impressive stuff, but is fusion a process which will realistically provide 'power to the masses', and at what cost to the end-user?

 

[daleyd]

I’ve done a bit of work there, a very impressive place

I think I’m yet to be convinced it’s ultimately going anywhere in terms of producing meaningful power but it’s a fascinating programme none the less.

 

[Fred Trevvett]

Impressive stuff, but is fusion a process which will realistically provide 'power to the masses', and at what cost to the end-user?

Yes, but not for a while would be my guess

 

[Onoff]

Impressive stuff, but is fusion a process which will realistically provide 'power to the masses', and at what cost to the end-user?

Or will the oil companies suppress the technology?

 

[Fred Trevvett]

as a few of you know i work for the UKAEA and we look after 2 fusion reactors

today we are anouncing the results

if anyone is interested it is here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60312633

@toddy, my biggest question would be how much energy did it take to initiate? My understanding of nuclear fusion was that it always took more energy to initiate than it could realistically generate

Edit to add - I realise that will probably change in future though.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Yes, but not for a while would be my guess

Can't see me being around long enough to benefit , but that's not to say the research is not worthwhile - it's how major breakthroughs are made.

 

[rtcosic]

Or will the oil companies suppress the technology?

I can make you an unmissable offer on Tin Foil hats.
Just send me your credit card details including the three numbers on the back.

 

[AndersK]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

Just can't help thinking it looks like ITER is building the Death star

 

[Wozzaaah]

Or will the oil companies suppress the technology?

Nah, Bill Gates will beat them to it.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Yes, that's my fear, they'll still charge us through the nose for the electric. After all fission nuclear electric wasn't free to the customer, was it?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Yes, that's my fear, they'll still charge us through the nose for the electric. After all fission nuclear electric wasn't free to the customer, was it?

"So cheap it can't be metered".... or something like that.

 

[Fred Trevvett]

11mw enough to boil 60 kettles of water? Where did they get that figure.

Say a kettle is 3kwh, 60 is 180kwh.
If it took 3 minutes to boil those kettles that's 9kw of energy.

11mw is 11,000kw.

I can't see the math.

Agreed...watts is a measure of power produced/consumed at an instant, watt hours is a measure of the amount of power produced/consumed in a given time frame.

I feel like my way of wording that hasn't actually clarified anything

 

[daleyd]

11mw enough to boil 60 kettles of water? Where did they get that figure.

Say a kettle is 3kwh, 60 is 180kwh.
If it took 3 minutes to boil those kettles that's 9kw of energy.

11mw is 11,000kw.

I can't see the math.

It only produced 11MW for 5 seconds though

 

[Fred Trevvett]

Ah, so let's assume they are saying 11 MW continuous over 5s, that's 0.00139 hours, so 0.01528 megawatt hours, or 15.28kWh to put it in a more relatable format. To go with @bR39Da's 3kwh per kettle, that's 5 kettles?

 

[Fred Trevvett]

I think this is yet another example of BBC's typical accuracy of reporting

Of course other media outlets are just as bad

 

[Kayos]

I haven't read the article, how much energy was put in to generate the 11MW?

 

[daleyd]

Ah, so let's assume they are saying 11 MW continuous over 5s, that's 0.00139 hours, so 0.01528 megawatt hours, or 15.28kWh to put it in a more relatable format. To go with @bR39Da's 3kwh per kettle, that's 5 kettles?

It’s not 3kwh to boil a kettle though - it’s about 0.25 (ish) - so I think it does (very roughly)translate to 60 ish kettles, at least as much as my Covid addled brain can think at the moment!