Quote :

"Skunk Works Reveals Compact Fusion Reactor Details Lockheed Martin aims to develop compact reactor prototype in five years, production unit in 10 Hidden away in the secret depths of the Skunk Works, a Lockheed Martin research team has been working quietly on a nuclear energy concept they believe has the potential to meet, if not eventually decrease, the world’s insatiable demand for power. Dubbed the compact fusion reactor (CFR), the device is conceptually safer, cleaner and more powerful than much larger, current nuclear systems that rely on fission, the process of splitting atoms to release energy. Crucially, by being “compact,” Lockheed believes its scalable concept will also be small and practical enough for applications ranging from interplanetary spacecraft and commercial ships to city power stations. It may even revive the concept of large, nuclear-powered aircraft that virtually never require refueling—ideas of which were largely abandoned more than 50 years ago because of the dangers and complexities involved with nuclear fission reactors."

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works have developed some pretty amazing stuff in the past. You have to wonder how much the energy industry could change within the next decade if this actually did work out.

http://aviationweek.com/technology/skunk-works-reveals-compact-fusion-reactor-details

10/16/2014 1:23:32 PM

I'll believe it when I see it. I'm not saying they don't have a good design, but i've heard that claim many times over the years.

10/16/2014 1:51:52 PM

http://youtu.be/UlYClniDFkM

if they DO get something like this to work, it will be world-changing.

10/16/2014 2:30:15 PM

There was one criticism originally waged here:

http://aviationweek.com/technology/skunk-works-reveals-compact-fusion-reactor-details

...that was pretty brutal

Quote :

"It is difficult to comment without the scientific papers. However, based on the figure I see one problem. The interior super conducting coils must be shielded from 14meV neutrons. Assuming the blanket and shielding shown on the coil is 1 meter the machine is the size of a football field. Even if it is just shielding, its half a football field and probably will not be able to make enough tritium to work. The fundamental problem with the tokamak is that you cannot blanket and shield a toroidal (doughnut shaped) vessel cheap enough to make an economical reactor. This design has two doughnuts and a shell so it will be more than four times as bad as a tokamak. (Our concept has no coils surrounded by plasma and solves the problem.)"

Ultimately, the tricky thing about fusion is that we know little enough about the plasma physics that people can make vague bogus claims without anyone else really being able to dismiss them categorically.

The only real schematic they released is just incomprehensible to me. It looks like a halfway magnetic mirror approach with no credible stable loop for the ions to travel in. For tokomaks, at least, I can understand. Things fly in a circle, and the twisty expensive parts of it cause them to fly violently back toward the centerline with any sideways movement.

The only unique characteristics they have are things I find very concerning. For instance, they want to have the coils inside the vacuum chamber... making it look closer to a fusor. I hope they're not planing to use electric charge itself to help. We know all-too-well the problems with that approach. Need I mention IEC?

Pulsed machines are the only type of fusion that could meet their financial goals. I see no real concept there. The neutral beams don't even suggest this is their route, but it's not certain.

Overall, nigh 0% chance of what they're trying for.

10/16/2014 3:57:38 PM

Thanks for the post, I appreciate your input.

10/16/2014 4:17:27 PM

Mfrog are you fucking kidding me

10/16/2014 7:37:10 PM

10/17/2014 4:42:55 AM

Where is Tony Stark when you need him?

10/17/2014 2:35:25 PM

Even if their design works, it will be an ungodly expensive source of energy. Perfect for the military. And I'd be rather cool with that.

10/17/2014 8:49:40 PM

I'll be laughing at all of you fools from atop my stockpile of whale oil.

10/17/2014 9:35:07 PM

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/10/lockheed-martin-nuclear-fusion-skeptical
http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-bash-lockheed-on-nuclear-fusion-2014-10

10/18/2014 7:38:06 PM

Good lord, the comments on the mother jones article...

Those people are every bit as stupid as the folks at worldnetdaily.

10/18/2014 8:18:21 PM

lol didn't read them until you mentioned it.

10/18/2014 8:39:55 PM