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LKL
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08 Jan 2009, 11:57 pm

Are they still considered a promising research area, or is it felt that fusion has hit a brick wall?



ruveyn
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09 Jan 2009, 5:59 am

LKL wrote:
Are they still considered a promising research area, or is it felt that fusion has hit a brick wall?


It is like searching for the Fountain of Eternal Youth. The prospect is so attractive people will not give up, regardless of the difficulty. And we do know fusion is possible. That is what makes sunshine.

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twoshots
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09 Jan 2009, 4:33 pm

LKL wrote:
Are they still considered a promising research area, or is it felt that fusion has hit a brick wall?

Apparently yes, which is why possible designs for fusion reactors is an active research area, and there are a few in the works which seem to be inching closer to viability. Still, I don't think there's too much optimism that fusion is going to fix our energy problems any time soon, e.g. "I think it will be 100 years before we have commercially viable energy." here


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ruveyn
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10 Jan 2009, 12:25 pm

twoshots wrote:
LKL wrote:
Are they still considered a promising research area, or is it felt that fusion has hit a brick wall?

Apparently yes, which is why possible designs for fusion reactors is an active research area, and there are a few in the works which seem to be inching closer to viability. Still, I don't think there's too much optimism that fusion is going to fix our energy problems any time soon, e.g. "I think it will be 100 years before we have commercially viable energy." here


A hundred years from now controlled nuclear fusion will still be thirty years in the future as it has been for the last 60 years

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10 Jan 2009, 1:02 pm

Why not just stick with fission, it is so much more easy to build a fission reactor.

If one has a supply of fissile matter then lots of simple and safe designs exist such as CANDU, BWR and some others.


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