▲ 36 ▼ Companies say they're closing in on nuclear fusion as an energy source. Will it work? (www.npr.org) submitted 2 years ago by NightGaunts@kbin.social to c/news@lemmy.world 37 comments fedilink hide all child comments For decades, government scientists have toiled away trying to make nuclear fusion work. Will commercial companies sprint to the finish?
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago (2 children) If only there was some sort of big fusion ball in the sky which gave us vast amounts of energy that we could collect if we wanted to... permalink fedilink source hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] orclev@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago (1 child) Today's shower thought: is a fusion power plant just a miniaturized Dyson Sphere? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] SoggyBread@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (2 children) I get where youre going but not exactly. The dyson sphere would use solar energy but the fusion reactor, a tokomak specifically, uses steam generated by water pumped through the system to help keep the walls of the tokomak cool, to spin steam powered turbines permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] evatronic@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (2 children) I'm constantly amazed that we're working on super advanced power generation techniques... that still use steam to spin turbines. It feels like we should be doing something cooler, like plasma conduits from Star Trek. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] QuinceDaPence@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago Just about the best way to do it for an external 'combustion' heat engine. Stirling engines can be used in some cases but in most cases steam ends up being the better option. We spent centuries getting really good at using steam for getting work out of 'hot thing'. permalink fedilink source parent [–] davidgro@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Look into what Helion Energy is doing. Not saying it will or won't work, but they plan to extract the energy directly from the plasma electromagnetically. permalink fedilink source parent [+] BingoBangoBongo@midwest.social 1 point 2 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] interceder270@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago How does the power grid work?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1BMWczn7JM permalink fedilink source parent
[–] orclev@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago (1 child) Today's shower thought: is a fusion power plant just a miniaturized Dyson Sphere? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] SoggyBread@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (2 children) I get where youre going but not exactly. The dyson sphere would use solar energy but the fusion reactor, a tokomak specifically, uses steam generated by water pumped through the system to help keep the walls of the tokomak cool, to spin steam powered turbines permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] evatronic@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (2 children) I'm constantly amazed that we're working on super advanced power generation techniques... that still use steam to spin turbines. It feels like we should be doing something cooler, like plasma conduits from Star Trek. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] QuinceDaPence@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago Just about the best way to do it for an external 'combustion' heat engine. Stirling engines can be used in some cases but in most cases steam ends up being the better option. We spent centuries getting really good at using steam for getting work out of 'hot thing'. permalink fedilink source parent [–] davidgro@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Look into what Helion Energy is doing. Not saying it will or won't work, but they plan to extract the energy directly from the plasma electromagnetically. permalink fedilink source parent [+] BingoBangoBongo@midwest.social 1 point 2 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent
[–] SoggyBread@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (2 children) I get where youre going but not exactly. The dyson sphere would use solar energy but the fusion reactor, a tokomak specifically, uses steam generated by water pumped through the system to help keep the walls of the tokomak cool, to spin steam powered turbines permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] evatronic@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (2 children) I'm constantly amazed that we're working on super advanced power generation techniques... that still use steam to spin turbines. It feels like we should be doing something cooler, like plasma conduits from Star Trek. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] QuinceDaPence@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago Just about the best way to do it for an external 'combustion' heat engine. Stirling engines can be used in some cases but in most cases steam ends up being the better option. We spent centuries getting really good at using steam for getting work out of 'hot thing'. permalink fedilink source parent [–] davidgro@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Look into what Helion Energy is doing. Not saying it will or won't work, but they plan to extract the energy directly from the plasma electromagnetically. permalink fedilink source parent [+] BingoBangoBongo@midwest.social 1 point 2 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent
[–] evatronic@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (2 children) I'm constantly amazed that we're working on super advanced power generation techniques... that still use steam to spin turbines. It feels like we should be doing something cooler, like plasma conduits from Star Trek. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] QuinceDaPence@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago Just about the best way to do it for an external 'combustion' heat engine. Stirling engines can be used in some cases but in most cases steam ends up being the better option. We spent centuries getting really good at using steam for getting work out of 'hot thing'. permalink fedilink source parent [–] davidgro@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Look into what Helion Energy is doing. Not saying it will or won't work, but they plan to extract the energy directly from the plasma electromagnetically. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] QuinceDaPence@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago Just about the best way to do it for an external 'combustion' heat engine. Stirling engines can be used in some cases but in most cases steam ends up being the better option. We spent centuries getting really good at using steam for getting work out of 'hot thing'. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Look into what Helion Energy is doing. Not saying it will or won't work, but they plan to extract the energy directly from the plasma electromagnetically. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] interceder270@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago How does the power grid work?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1BMWczn7JM permalink fedilink source parent