Exploring the Possibility of Directed Energy for Hybrid Heating System

In summary: Summary:: Directed energy can exert a force, but it is very small per individual photon and requires a large number of photons to be effective. It has been researched and used in experiments such as the National Ignition Facility, but is not a viable power production method due to low energy efficiency and impracticality in replacing fuel pellets.
  • #1
Andrewtv848
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TL;DR Summary
how similar is directed energy to the heating apparatus.
Could directed energy fundamentals be used in active confinement by hybridizing the heating system with directed energy. I'm sure I'm wrong in this because I only have my high school diploma.
 
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  • #2
Andrewtv848 said:
directed energy

What do you mean by this? Can you give a reference?

Andrewtv848 said:
active confinement

Do you mean active confinement for a fusion reactor?
 
  • #3
PeterDonis said:
Do you mean active confinement for a fusion reactor?
Probably. That's what his previous thread was about. Astronuc and mfb provided good responses in the previous thread.
Andrewtv848 said:
Summary:: New type of active confinement

I have a idea for a plasma based fusion reactor. Using a combusting hydrogen/other reactant generate a flame jet to actively confine the plasma and possibly using a helium compressed jet stream as well to bring down turbulence.
My friend already says these will destroy the plasma but I am am not sure.
thanks for your time
 
  • #4
PeterDonis said:
What do you mean by this? Can you give a reference?
Like a phased array or other directed energy weapons Do you mean active confinement for a fusion reactor?
Sorry, my bad. yep you got it.
 
  • #5
Andrewtv848 said:
Summary:: how similar is directed energy to the heating apparatus.

Could directed energy fundamentals be used in active confinement by hybridizing the heating system with directed energy. I'm sure I'm wrong in this because I only have my high school diploma.

The pressure in the sun's interior is ~ 4 trillion psi. This is roughly 5000 times as much as the pressure required to make diamonds.
This is not going to happen using the techniques you propose...but keep thinking about it!
 
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  • #6
hutchphd said:
The pressure in the sun's interior is ~ 4 trillion psi. This is roughly 5000 times as much as the pressure required to make diamonds.
This is not going to happen using the techniques you propose...but keep thinking about it!
I think I'm misinterpreting what you are saying, but isn't Iter roughly 2 atmospheres of pressure. Btw, can you even exert a force using light?
 
  • #7
Andrewtv848 said:
Summary:: how similar is directed energy to the heating apparatus.

Could directed energy fundamentals be used in active confinement by hybridizing the heating system with directed energy. I'm sure I'm wrong in this because I only have my high school diploma.
It has been thoroughly researched. For example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ignition_Facility
 
  • #8
@Andrewtv848 light which is made of photons or we can also call it EM field can indeed exert a force on a surface , the problem is that force is very small per individual photon, so you need lots of them , and by lots I mean LOTS.
If that wasn't the case then you could accelerate your car by shining a laser against the asphalt behind you.@anorlunda linked to a well known experiment, all they do there in a nutshell is they have many large lasers they combine each laser output and focus them from all direction to a single roughly ball pen tip sized ball which contains the fuel, say D-T mixture.
The focused laser pulse is very fast and in that short time it compresses the ball of fuel simultaneously heating it.

But don't look at it as a viable power production method, first of all the energy balance between spent and produced is awful and secondly even if each ignited pellet gave back more than it consumed electrical energy wise this still would be impractical as a reactor because everytime you need to change the old pellet to a new one and that is a rather slow mechanical process.
Sort of like if you had to use a syringe to put droplets of gas inside your internal combustion engine after each combustion cycle. Luckily gas and diesel can be sprayed inside the chamber otherwise it would not function , but here you cannot spray the fusion fuel you need to have it in a small form so that you can concentrate your lasers onto it.
So that means a solid ball.
 
  • #9
artis said:
@Andrewtv848 light which is made of photons or we can also call it EM field can indeed exert a force on a surface , the problem is that force is very small per individual photon, so you need lots of them , and by lots I mean LOTS.
If that wasn't the case then you could accelerate your car by shining a laser against the asphalt behind you.@anorlunda linked to a well known experiment, all they do there in a nutshell is they have many large lasers they combine each laser output and focus them from all direction to a single roughly ball pen tip sized ball which contains the fuel, say D-T mixture.
The focused laser pulse is very fast and in that short time it compresses the ball of fuel simultaneously heating it.

But don't look at it as a viable power production method, first of all the energy balance between spent and produced is awful and secondly even if each ignited pellet gave back more than it consumed electrical energy wise this still would be impractical as a reactor because everytime you need to change the old pellet to a new one and that is a rather slow mechanical process.
Sort of like if you had to use a syringe to put droplets of gas inside your internal combustion engine after each combustion cycle. Luckily gas and diesel can be sprayed inside the chamber otherwise it would not function , but here you cannot spray the fusion fuel you need to have it in a small form so that you can concentrate your lasers onto it.
So that means a solid ball.
Could you use the Doppler effect to cool the plasma as well as spot heating to control the plasma on top of the magneto hydrodynamics already present.
 
  • #10
You should search the literature from that National Ignition Facility to see what ideas they tried. It is interesting. Please post again with the results of your research.
 
  • #11
Andrewtv848 said:
I think I'm misinterpreting what you are saying, but isn't Iter roughly 2 atmospheres of pressure. Btw, can you even exert a force using light?
I was envisioning a tokamak with a heating array that worked like a phased array to target the turbulence early on.
 

1. What is a directed energy hybrid heating system?

A directed energy hybrid heating system is a type of heating system that utilizes a combination of traditional heating methods (such as gas or electric) and directed energy technologies (such as lasers or microwaves) to efficiently heat a space or object.

2. How does a directed energy hybrid heating system work?

A directed energy hybrid heating system works by using directed energy technologies to heat a specific target (such as a room or object) while traditional heating methods are used to maintain the overall temperature of the space. The directed energy is focused on the target, allowing for more precise and efficient heating.

3. What are the potential benefits of using directed energy for hybrid heating?

The use of directed energy for hybrid heating has several potential benefits, including increased energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and lower operating costs. It also allows for more precise and targeted heating, which can be beneficial for certain applications.

4. Are there any challenges or limitations to using directed energy for hybrid heating?

While there are many potential benefits to using directed energy for hybrid heating, there are also some challenges and limitations. These may include high upfront costs, technical complexities, and the need for specialized equipment and training.

5. How is directed energy being used for hybrid heating currently?

Directed energy is still a relatively new technology in the realm of heating systems, but there are some examples of its use in hybrid heating. For example, some companies are developing directed energy heaters for industrial applications, and some research is being done on using directed energy for more efficient home heating systems.

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