Scientists See Solution to Critical Barrier to Fusion

[Drakkith]

Interesting. According to the following link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423143128.htm

An in-depth analysis by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) zeroed in on tiny, bubble-like islands that appear in the hot, charged gases -- or plasmas -- during experiments. These minute islands collect impurities that cool the plasma. And it is these islands, the scientists report in the April 20 issue of Physical Review Letters, that are at the root of a long-standing problem known as the "density limit" that can prevent fusion reactors from operating at maximum efficiency.

Gates and Delgado-Aparicio now hope to test their theory with experiments on a tokamak called Alcator C-Mod at MIT, and on the DIII-D tokamak at General Atomics in San Diego. Among other things, they intend to see if injecting power directly into the islands will lead to higher density. If so, that could help future tokamaks reach the extreme density and 100-million-degree temperatures that fusion requires.

What do you all make of this?

 

[zapperzero]

Interesting. According to the following link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423143128.htm
What do you all make of this?

Angels dancing on pinheads. As I see it, the science needed for fusion has been done a long time ago. It's all engineering from here on out.

 

[Drakkith]

Angels dancing on pinheads. As I see it, the science needed for fusion has been done a long time ago. It's all engineering from here on out.

I guess it depends on where you draw the line between engineering and physics.

 

[zapperzero]

I guess it depends on where you draw the line between engineering and physics.

Eh. I was being facetious, but only somewhat. Searching a space of possible solutions in for an optimum is what I tend to think of as engineering. Of course, if along the way one stumbles across new phenomena, that is science again, but only of a minor sort, usually :).

This thing you posted about is pure engineering - these relatively cold islands had been known to exist for quite a while. These guys are proposing to heat them up with microwaves, which in turn is a refinement of existing technique.

 

[alphy]

I find this research and potential solution to the density limit in fusion reactors very promising. The identification of these tiny islands and their role in cooling the plasma is a significant step towards improving the efficiency of fusion reactions. It is also exciting to see that the researchers have plans to test their theory with experiments on existing tokamaks, which could lead to practical applications in the future. This could potentially bring us closer to achieving the extreme conditions necessary for fusion reactions to occur. I look forward to following the progress of this research and its potential impact on the field of fusion energy.