the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, how many times in the last 50 years have we heard , fusion power is ‘approaching’ reality , so who is John Galt?
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Here we go again, researchers at the Energy Department’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have used a new magnetic field set up to more than triple the energy output of fusion reaction hotspots. The magnetic field traps heat within the hotspot, boosting the energy yield. While the finding makes ignition considerably more achievable, the output is still far less than required to create self-sustaining reactions.
The notion of using magnets to heat the fuel isn’t new. University of Rochester scientists found they could use magnetism to their advantage in 2012. The Lawrence Livermore study was far more effective, however, producing 40 percent heat and more than three times the energy.
Practical fusion reactors are still many years away. The output is still far less than the energy required to create self-sustaining reactions. The finding makes ignition considerably more achievable, though, and that in turn improves the chances of an energy-positive fusion system. This also isn’t the end of the magnetism experiments. A future test will use an ice-laden cryogenic capsule to help understand fusion physics. Even if ignition is still distant, the learnings from this study could provide a clearer path to that breakthrough moment
