Thanks Steve. I'd already read an article about the recent experiment that got more energy out than had to be put in to start it. Apparently it wasn't quite enough to boil a kettle. I've always been against any form of nuclear power, fission because of the unpleasant nuclear waste and fusion because of the potential for producing explosions which would make Hiroshima look like a box of "Standard" fireworks. And both of them because of the truly enormous costs. In truth we happen to live quite near to a massive nuclear fusion reactor called the sun which by any reckoning produces more energy than we could ever gainfully use. We just need to find ways to trap it, something which solar panels and wind farms are really quite good at.
Yeah. I'm not as up on science as you mate. However, I was concerned when I heard it could generate heat warmer than the centre of sun. Not something you want to go wrong.
Compared to option B which I read in a recent article which, whilst challenging, is now viable it seems a distant dead end. Option B is large solar farms in orbit. Since there in no atmosphere diluting the Sun's radiation, clouds etc the efficiency of the panels is many times greater. Cargo delivery into orbit is far cheaper and the cost is coming down. The energy is beamed to collection stations via microwaves which are then converted back to clean energy. Almost all obstacles to this solution for clean energy have been overcome including the relationship between long term reduction in polluting energy sources and the environmental cost of the building and launching the rockets to get the things into orbit.
And the lord said “Let there be nuclear fusion” And there was nuclear fusion. I read that in a book, so I think it’s true.
It interests me because I was told that if it goes wrong it could create a black hole. Don't know if that's a myth or not.
When I worked for UKAEA in the 1980’s, The Jet Project was just starting up. At that time the speculation was that a fusion Power station was about 50 years away. I think such a Facility is still 50 years away and probably always will be.