Iran Studies Building Nuclear Fusion Reactor

Yahoo News ^ | 24 July 2010 | Ali Akbar Dareini

[edpc]

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's nuclear agency began studies Saturday to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor, something that has yet to be achieved by any nation.

Iran is not known to have carried out anything but basic fusion research, but it does have a nuclear fission program that the U.S. and its allies believe is a front to build weapons — a charge Tehran denies.

[edpc]

Nuclear fusion, the process powering the sun and stars, has so far only been mastered as a weapon, producing the thermonuclear explosions of hydrogen bombs. It has never been harnessed for power generation.

So when they test their nuclear device, they can say it was an "accident" at the remotely located experimental fusion reactor. How convenient.

[bgill]

Now, now you know this is only going to be used to light schools.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’d call this a planned diversion. That plant will never match the huge American and European research plants’ abilities to approach breakeven in fusion. Real scientists will laugh at it.

[FrankR]

Yeah, right. And I’m studying putting a “flux capacitor” in my pickup so I can visit myself in 1965 and preempt a few mistakes I’ve made in my life. /s

[Hardraade]

Of course they’re building a fusion reactor, a fast one. It’s called a thermonuclear device. If you have the knowledge and the raw material, it’s not any more difficult than a straight up nuclear device, and the knowledge has been handed to them by the US - ostensibly by “mistake”.

[Flightdeck]

“It has never been harnessed for power generation.”

Yes, it has. Just not to the point where it generates more power than is put in.

[cavador]

Wow! can I borrow your ute?I want to go back in time to when Mohammad was a boy so I can take him out!(And thus removing the concept of Islam and creating eternal peace in the middle East.....No more Iran...No more Afganistan....no more Taliban!)

[The Comedian]

experimental nuclear fusion reactor

Otherwise known as an H-bomb.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[BenLurkin]

What could go wrong?

[HiTech RedNeck]

This would be the rationale behind which they will hide their amassing of tritium, which is needed for bomb fusion. “It’s to feed our fusion research reactor!”

Of course, testing an H bomb will be kind of hard to hide.

[ZOOKER]

We had the same thought, but I guessed it was plutonium they needed an excuse to manufacture.

Apparently, fission weapons are no longer good enough for them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yeah plutonium is used too, but they already are busy with that. Tritium does not keep well, with a half life of only a few years. It has to be generated in large quantities and periodically refreshed. This will be a concerted, dedicated effort.

[The Comedian]

Of course, testing an H bomb will be kind of hard to hide.

They are planning to only test it once. On Tel Aviv.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[sionnsar]

"I’d call this a planned diversion. That plant will never match the huge American and European research plants’ abilities to approach breakeven in fusion. Real scientists will laugh at it."

Maybe, maybe not.

There are many exceptionally intelligent Iranians, even today after the Revolution left many stranded abroad, and elements of the culture still appear to foster that intelligence.