Nuclear fusion energy step closer, large success of German scientists

[Garrick]

German scientists make big stride towards fusion

http://www.thelocal.de/20151211/german-scientists-make-big-stride-towards-fusion

After spending a billion euros and nine years' construction work, physicists working on a German project called the "stellarator" said they had briefly generated a super-heated helium plasma inside a vessel – a key point in the experimental process.

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http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...ave-Activated-the-Largest-Ever-Fusion-Reactor

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For me it is one of most important things in science after WWII. Fusion is the energy source of the Universe, it occurs in the core of the Sun and stars. If people achieve it progress is enormous, mankind gets unlimited, renewable, clean energy.

 

[LeBrok]

One day we are going to get there, but oh boy, the journey turned to be sooooo long.
100 million degrees Celsius?! Nuts, lol.

 

[oriental]

There was talk of thorium reactors. China and India were working on it but no word. It was the safest using molten salt. It could even reputedly burn up radioactive waste so we didn't have to wait for thousands of years for radioactivity to die down.

 

[oriental]

The thorium technology
The following video was misnamed. It should be the cons of Uranium mining and radioactive waste. I don't know why people do that. Was it deliberate or accidental?

 

[Maleth]

In another article I read it states that Power stations in Europe will start becoming extinct within 10 to 20 years. That is pretty soon in my opinion and Good riddance to the filthy old sources of energy that has caused so much havoc environment wise around the earth.

 

[bicicleur 2]

it is the holy grail, limetless amounts of energy without hazardous wastes
if it is found, it will change earth
but despite big efforts the holy grail hasn't been found yet

 

[Garrick]

One day we are going to get there, but oh boy, the journey turned to be sooooo long.
100 million degrees Celsius?! Nuts, lol.

Your sarcasm is in place. It can be very long, although a new discovery can speed things. It can be a little optimism, if people don't believe something is possible than result is very certain. The man never would invent anything.

By the way German scientists made progress. This important theme is outside the media spotlight, we are all faced with billion information about the progress in computer science and robotics, yes it is important, and attractive, but there are other important areas.

Yes we can read that fusion energy researches are expensive. Yes, mankind can break all. And we will stay with coal, gas, oil, or fission nuclear reactors, or hydroelectric power plants, or renewable sources solar, wind, geothermal, etc. which are not panacea, and costs of production of this energy are more expensive than from traditional sources, and with all problems pollution, harmful emissions, long term adverse impacts, etc. If fusion energy is the best solution then mankind should continue researches in that direction and results will show big progress sooner or later.

 

[oriental]

Norway's thorium reactor to burn uranium waste with thorium

By mixing thorium oxide with 10% plutonium oxide, however, criticality is achieved. This fuel, which is called thorium-MOX (mixed-oxide), can then be formed into rods and used in conventional nuclear reactors. Not only does this mean that we can do away with uranium, which is expensive to enrich, dangerous, and leads to nuclear proliferation, but it also means that we finally have an easy way of recycling plutonium. Furthermore, the thorium-MOX fuel cycle produces no new plutonium; it actually reduces the world’s stock of plutonium. Oh, thorium-MOX makes for safer nuclear reactors, too, due to a higher melting point and thermal conductivity.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...rovide-cleaner-safer-almost-waste-free-energy