China Tests Fusion Reactor

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
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I see few if any safety concerns-----a superstrong magnetic field does what the gravity of a star also does---turn the magnetic field off and the reaction stops instantly.
Better yet---no radioactive by products produced---hydrogen in---helium and energy out---but its still not yet clear if China is over the hill yet---because it usually takes more energy to power the magnetic field than you get out in energy.---to date---no one has gotten over that hill yet to my knowledge---but China is working on it.---and the US is retreating from this
type cutting edge development.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Originally posted by: Lemon law
I see few if any safety concerns-----a superstrong magnetic field does what the gravity of a star also does---turn the magnetic field off and the reaction stops instantly.
Better yet---no radioactive by products produced---hydrogen in---helium and energy out---but its still not yet clear if China is over the hill yet---because it usually takes more energy to power the magnetic field than you get out in energy.---to date---no one has gotten over that hill yet to my knowledge---but China is working on it.---and the US is retreating from this
type cutting edge development.

The D-T reaction actually does create radiation in the form of fast neutrons. These are absorbed by the reactor's interior structure making it radioactive.

The US already has a number of experemental reactors and is funding the NIF to investigate inertially contained fusion.
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
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I thought this was happening in Japan and wouldn't be off the ground until about 20 years from now.
 

kingtas

Senior member
Aug 26, 2006
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Ok, one of you rocket scientist explain this to me.

Details are vague, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei told news agency Xinhua that "deuterium and tritium atoms had been fused together at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly three seconds".

What do they use to contain that temperature?
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Originally posted by: ayabe
I thought this was happening in Japan and wouldn't be off the ground until about 20 years from now.

ITER is being bult in France at Cadarache.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Originally posted by: kingtas
Ok, one of you rocket scientist explain this to me.

Details are vague, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei told news agency Xinhua that "deuterium and tritium atoms had been fused together at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly three seconds".

What do they use to contain that temperature?

Extremely powerful magentic fields contain/suspend the plasma.
 

kingtas

Senior member
Aug 26, 2006
421
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Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: kingtas
Ok, one of you rocket scientist explain this to me.

Details are vague, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei told news agency Xinhua that "deuterium and tritium atoms had been fused together at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly three seconds".

What do they use to contain that temperature?

Extremely powerful magentic fields contain/suspend the plasma.

And that amount of heat doesn't radiate far enough to melt things involved?

 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
52,833
46,685
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Originally posted by: kingtas
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: kingtas
Ok, one of you rocket scientist explain this to me.

Details are vague, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei told news agency Xinhua that "deuterium and tritium atoms had been fused together at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly three seconds".

What do they use to contain that temperature?

Extremely powerful magentic fields contain/suspend the plasma.

And that amount of heat doesn't radiate far enough to melt things involved?

Basically, no it dosen't.
 

5to1baby1in5

Golden Member
Apr 27, 2001
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Originally posted by: kingtas
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: kingtas
Ok, one of you rocket scientist explain this to me.

Details are vague, but scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei told news agency Xinhua that "deuterium and tritium atoms had been fused together at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly three seconds".

What do they use to contain that temperature?

Extremely powerful magentic fields contain/suspend the plasma.

And that amount of heat doesn't radiate far enough to melt things involved?

Inverse squared law.

This is just a few atoms too.