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Fusion Power Breakthrough: New Method for Eliminating Damaging Heat Bursts in Toroidal Tokamaks
scitechdaily.com ^ | August 28, 2020 | Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

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 ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: fusiontoroidal; stringtheory; tokamak; tokomaks
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To: Bayard
You are correct.

The last thing they want is abundant, clean energy which would enable prosperity for the masses.

They envision a life of poverty and dependence for you, me and everyone else.

21 posted on 08/29/2020 6:34:51 AM PDT by desertfreedom765
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To: BenLurkin

Thought it was done already. I saw it as a home device in a movie somewhere.


22 posted on 08/29/2020 6:38:50 AM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: BenLurkin

I believe that IF we found a way to create abundant, clean energy in a way that didn’t require massive facilities, it would be suppressed for safety.

Imagine a world where you had the power of fusion in a coffee grinder like in back to the future. Terrorists would be able to create massive energy bursts anywhere, any time.


23 posted on 08/29/2020 6:46:48 AM PDT by laxcoach (Wear a hijab or you are selfish!)
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To: BenLurkin

Not long ago there was a great but lengthy article by an experienced nuclear physicist who had years in fusion research PROVING conclusively why fusion would never work in the real world.

The energy requirements/demand just to start the process - let alone maintain it - are beyond imagination, and cost.

Let me know if you want me to find it and post it.


24 posted on 08/29/2020 7:03:17 AM PDT by Arlis
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To: Malsua

If liquid sodium is good enough for cooling fission reactors, with water on the other side of a metal pipe, we might as well use lithium for fusion reactors.


25 posted on 08/29/2020 7:03:23 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: BenLurkin
BenLurkin...

A lot of silly comments re. Fusion Energy. I take a contrary view of it and show an analogy.

Through most of maritime history, ocean navigators could not determine exactly where they were. It was first by dead reckoning then later they could use something as simple as a knotted string on a stick to measure the angle of the sun to the horizon at local noon. This meant they could sail a constant latitude line from point A to point B as long as both points had a knot on their string. Longitude was impossible to measure except for infrequent fixes via a solar or lunar eclipse.

This void in ability was not really solved until about the 1700s, a functional chronometer grade clock was developed that was accurate and durable enough for shipboard use. One of these days, a controllable and practical fusion reactor will be developed.

26 posted on 08/29/2020 7:53:53 AM PDT by Hootowl99
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To: BenLurkin

More models as science.

Yes models are useful tools but models only make PREDICTIONS. If you are a fan of the scientific method, this is only the equivalent of a hypothesis. In other words .... it is NOT a breakthrough. To qualify as a breakthrough, the prediction has to be verified by real world observable evidence.

Understand that I am not lamenting the model. What I am complaining about is that what now passes for science is just conjecture, speculation and prediction, not actual provable and repeatable outcomes.

\rant


27 posted on 08/29/2020 8:04:54 AM PDT by taxcontrol (Stupid should hurt - Dad's wisdom)
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To: BenLurkin

Didn’t Tesla perfect this tech in the early 1900’s?


28 posted on 08/29/2020 8:53:39 AM PDT by LastDayz (A blunt and brazen Texan. I will not be assimilated.)
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To: BenLurkin

PPPL?

Is that still Princeton the primary Tokamak researcher?

I’ll bet Lyndon Larouche is dancing in his grave over the news.


29 posted on 08/29/2020 8:57:29 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. N.C. +12) Progressives are existential American enemies.....all of them)
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To: BenLurkin

This is Hu. And prolly Series, as well.


30 posted on 08/29/2020 9:07:01 AM PDT by Tucker39 ("It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington)
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Sun in a Bottle: The Strange History of Fusion and the Science of Wishful Thinking
Sun in a Bottle:
The Strange History of Fusion
and the Science of Wishful Thinking

by Charles Seife


31 posted on 08/29/2020 10:46:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: 6SJ7; AdmSmith; AFPhys; Arkinsaw; allmost; aristotleman; autumnraine; bajabaja; ...


· List topics · post a topic · subscribe · Google ·

32 posted on 08/29/2020 10:47:27 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: BenLurkin

They had me a Donut shaped...


33 posted on 08/29/2020 10:48:13 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Kill a Commie for your Mommy.)
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To: BenLurkin
Doc's got it covered...


34 posted on 08/29/2020 10:48:21 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: BenLurkin

All I want to know is what happened to ‘Cold Fusion’ that ‘Mr. Cold Fusion Guy’ was hyping non stop here?


35 posted on 08/29/2020 10:57:10 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: BenLurkin
So... What's new about this?
Fred Sanford and his friends knew 55-years ago that ripple was the best solution...
36 posted on 08/29/2020 12:10:32 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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