Not really related to glow discharge but is Tokamak Energy keeping tabs on the MAST Upgrade and its upcoming experiment campaign and are there any particular experiments on MAST that might have a bearing on ST40's design or build or future spherical tokamaks? Thanks! And thanks for this channel, I love following along with the progress of Tokamak Energy!
So, what if I want to make a reactor myself. Are there resources that are open source? Considering the safety aspect of these reactors in the first place I'd imagine that restrictions may be different then fission reactors, or maybe not?
Can you help me here with a question i have? The sun produces radiation in all spectrums, lots of high energy gamma rays etc. Well should fusion do the same, and if it does doesnt that mean the chamber and everything near it will become highly radioactive?? And if everything is becoming highly radioactive how long can that equipment remain viable?
On Earth the fusion reaction we use is different to that in the Sun. We combine deuterium and tritium (both types of heavy hydrogen) and the products are helium and a neutron. It doesn't produce light (gamma rays etc). The neutron has very high energy and when it passes through the walls of the chamber it can interact with atoms in the walls to make them slightly radioactive. Note "slightly" radioactive rather than "highly" radioactive. The radioactivity will be short-lived; it will last perhaps 50-100 years before it is completely safe and can be recycled. The exact time will depend on the choice of materials used, and it is in our interest to minimise the radioactivity. The neutrons also damage the materials over time, which is a time limit on the viability of some parts of the machine (but not all). There is research going into the best materials and into shielding from the neutrons. Additionally, using smaller machines we could have several on one power station site meaning that there could always be one down for repairs and maintenance whilst the keeping the others going.
Tokamak Energy - Thanks for the reply. Ive wondered that for a while. Sounds like youre planning on some sort of assembly line mass production. Rather than having several small machines im sure a power station would rather have two or 3 bigger machines. More volume to area. Or is that just an assumption from me? I know your whole angle is to make small fusion reactors but have yous looked at making larger reactors to fit a market demand if it exists?
NicosMind, in response to your second comment, you have to consider the square/cube law. A small increase in size equates to a larger increase in internal volume. There may come a point at which scaling up of the reaction chamber starts providing diminishing returns. They seem to be having more success with smaller units, so I'd rather them focus their energies on that and perfecting it. And yes, mass-production is the ultimate goal. We don't need ONE fusion reactor in the world. We need many, powering all the places that truly need it.
I have a question regarding the temperature. I've never understood how the plasma, being millions of degrees doesn't damage the walls. I understand the process of confining it in a magnetic field. What I don't understand is how the heat is confined. Is the inside of the reactor a vacuum except for the plasma? If that is how it's done, why does the plasma still radiate heat (as opposed to convection). How hot do the interior surfaces get? You'll have to excuse me, I'm trying to make the cognitive leap from a blacksmith's understanding of heat and materials to what is going on here, with energy tens of thousands of times more than a forge.
Are tokamak programs just a way of doing advanced plasma physics while hiding the fact that practical fusion power has been in use for decades without public knowledge? It's a fair question. . . Fusion energy has been 20 years away forever. Somehow, with a potential budget of trillions, unlimited lab space and equipment, and nearly a century, I am skeptical that the problem remains unsolved.
One of my favorite channels. Keep up the amazing work everyone. You're all doing incredible things. I'm very jealous.
Not really related to glow discharge but is Tokamak Energy keeping tabs on the MAST Upgrade and its upcoming experiment campaign and are there any particular experiments on MAST that might have a bearing on ST40's design or build or future spherical tokamaks? Thanks! And thanks for this channel, I love following along with the progress of Tokamak Energy!
I WANT TO WORK FOR YOU
So, what if I want to make a reactor myself. Are there resources that are open source? Considering the safety aspect of these reactors in the first place I'd imagine that restrictions may be different then fission reactors, or maybe not?
Can you help me here with a question i have? The sun produces radiation in all spectrums, lots of high energy gamma rays etc. Well should fusion do the same, and if it does doesnt that mean the chamber and everything near it will become highly radioactive??
And if everything is becoming highly radioactive how long can that equipment remain viable?
On Earth the fusion reaction we use is different to that in the Sun. We combine deuterium and tritium (both types of heavy hydrogen) and the products are helium and a neutron. It doesn't produce light (gamma rays etc). The neutron has very high energy and when it passes through the walls of the chamber it can interact with atoms in the walls to make them slightly radioactive. Note "slightly" radioactive rather than "highly" radioactive. The radioactivity will be short-lived; it will last perhaps 50-100 years before it is completely safe and can be recycled. The exact time will depend on the choice of materials used, and it is in our interest to minimise the radioactivity. The neutrons also damage the materials over time, which is a time limit on the viability of some parts of the machine (but not all). There is research going into the best materials and into shielding from the neutrons. Additionally, using smaller machines we could have several on one power station site meaning that there could always be one down for repairs and maintenance whilst the keeping the others going.
Tokamak Energy - Thanks for the reply. Ive wondered that for a while.
Sounds like youre planning on some sort of assembly line mass production. Rather than having several small machines im sure a power station would rather have two or 3 bigger machines. More volume to area. Or is that just an assumption from me? I know your whole angle is to make small fusion reactors but have yous looked at making larger reactors to fit a market demand if it exists?
Don't neutrons decay into high energy photons?
NicosMind, in response to your second comment, you have to consider the square/cube law. A small increase in size equates to a larger increase in internal volume. There may come a point at which scaling up of the reaction chamber starts providing diminishing returns. They seem to be having more success with smaller units, so I'd rather them focus their energies on that and perfecting it. And yes, mass-production is the ultimate goal. We don't need ONE fusion reactor in the world. We need many, powering all the places that truly need it.
How do you go about scrubbing the dirty helium that comes out in discharge for re-use?
I have a question regarding the temperature. I've never understood how the plasma, being millions of degrees doesn't damage the walls. I understand the process of confining it in a magnetic field. What I don't understand is how the heat is confined. Is the inside of the reactor a vacuum except for the plasma? If that is how it's done, why does the plasma still radiate heat (as opposed to convection). How hot do the interior surfaces get?
You'll have to excuse me, I'm trying to make the cognitive leap from a blacksmith's understanding of heat and materials to what is going on here, with energy tens of thousands of times more than a forge.
cool, but where's the application.
We are developing fusion as a clean, abundant energy source for the future.
Are tokamak programs just a way of doing advanced plasma physics while hiding the fact that practical fusion power has been in use for decades without public knowledge? It's a fair question. . . Fusion energy has been 20 years away forever. Somehow, with a potential budget of trillions, unlimited lab space and equipment, and nearly a century, I am skeptical that the problem remains unsolved.
has anyone tried doing a bacon sandwich with this thing?