Posted on 08/29/2020 5:13:41 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Toroidal, or doughnut-shaped, tokamaks are prone to intense bursts of heat and particles, called edge localized modes (ELMs). These ELMs can damage the reactor walls and must be controlled to develop reliable fusion power. Fortunately, scientists have learned to tame these ELMs by applying spiraling rippled magnetic fields to the surface of the plasma that fuels fusion reactions. However, the taming of ELMs requires very specific conditions that limit the operational flexibility of tokamak reactors.
Now, researchers at PPPL and GA have developed a model that... accurately reproduces the conditions for ELM suppression in the DIII-D National Fusion Facility that GA operates for DOE. The model predicts the conditions under which ELM suppression should extend over a wider range of operating conditions in the tokamak than previously thought possible. The work presents important predictions for how to optimize the effectiveness of ELM suppression in ITER, the massive international fusion device under construction in the south of France to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power.
PPPL physicists Qiming Hu and Raffi Nazikian are the lead authors of a paper describing the model in Physical Review Letters. They note that under normal conditions the rippled magnetic field can only suppress ELMs for very precise values of the plasma current that produces the magnetic fields that confine the plasma. This creates a problem because tokamak reactors must operate over a wide range of plasma current to explore and optimize the conditions required to generate fusion power
The authors show how, by modifying the structure of the helical magnetic ripples applied to the plasma, ELMs should be eliminated over a wider range of plasma current with improved generation of fusion power. Hu believes the findings could provide ITER with the wide operational flexibility it will need to demonstrate the practicality of fusion energy.
(Excerpt) Read more at scitechdaily.com ...
Promising, maybe we’ll see a working fusion reactor in 30 years.
Don’t know if the Left wants a solution to energy though, if Fusion became a thing, they would shut it down immediately because it would be too beneficial to civilization.
Fusion, the power source of the future...and it always will be.
Qiming Hu and Raffi Nazikian >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
So we are sharing everything with the PRC and Iran?
“Fusion Power Breakthrough: New Method for Eliminating Damaging Heat Bursts in Toroidal Tokamaks”
Damn, I got scooped!
Will flying cars run on fusion energy?
mmmph!!
That COVID scam isnt’ gonna pay off too well at all...lets trot out the “fusion is just around the next 30 billion dollar corner” now scam
Heh!
With a breakthrough like this, fusion power is probably only 25 years away ...
Naw, it'll be 10 years. 10 years until we get the next "We're only 10 years away"
Of all the fusion designs, the Tomamak is the best one if you want to have a full career and retire. It WILL NEVER work. It is too complicated.
The guy who thought "Hey, lets use molten lithium as a shield wall" should have been given a free Pinochet helicopter ride.
What the lame-brains in academia are too stupid to grasp is that free market capitalism is what makes such miracles of scientific discovery possible.
Biden has been working on a Tokamak reactor in his basement. We had one in the school I attended. Probably explains his memory loss and weirdness.
My electrodynamics prof worked was a fusion researcher. He said it was 10 years away. That was in 1971.
If the leftists had been powerful years ago, they would have banned antibiotics and anesthetics. They oppose anything that helps humanity. They want most people to live in poverty, disease and squalor.
Magnetic containment of plasma - pitched then as "free energy" - it did spawn tons of PhD's over the years.
Free energy - not so much.
Waiting for a working fusion reactor is like waiting for a DOJ indictment. Tick tick....
Wow thank God I caught this early this morning. Now I can eat breakfast without worrying :-)
Socialism will work this time!
Islam is a peaceful religion.
Indictments coming soon
Fusion power is only 20 years away!
I will still respect you in the morning.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.