Fusion breakthrough draws energy gain

[Ears and Eggs]

Apparently scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved this crucial step in the path to nuclear fusion energy. The NIF reactor uses a massive laser to confine and ignite the nuclear fusion reaction, unlike the magnetically confined plasma in many other fusion experiments.

We have 'ignition': Fusion breakthrough draws energy gain

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a crucial step in the pursuit of the elusive energy source, though it will not immediately open the floodgates to clean power in American homes.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[RedCowboy]

Immediately I wonder how close is the lasers lens to a fusion reaction, even with a sapphire window we are talking about a nuclear fusion reaction.

 

[Dusty_Lenses]

Immediately I wonder how close is the lasers lens to a fusion reaction, even with a sapphire window we are talking about a nuclear fusion reaction.

Im wondering if its a G2

 

[RedCowboy]

I'm reasonably certain that's gonna be a negative on the G2.
From what I read the laser of around 350nm enters through a small hole, well many small holes.

Ha I see a debris shield, I expect it's a shutter.

4.5. Frequency Conversion and Unconverted Light Management

Frequency Conversion and Unconverted Light Management Primary operating wavelength for the target shots on NIF is the third harmonic of the 1053 nm fundamental wavelength at 351 nm. Efficient conversion of the amplified 1w light to its third harmonic is accomplished by a pair of non- linear...

nifuserguide.llnl.gov

 

[gazer101]

Holy smokes, if this proves to be real we might see some extremely powerful and cheap lasers come to market in the coming decades!

Think about a house-scale fusion reactor one day

 

[CurtisOliver]

It is exciting stuff. We still have a long way to go in order to produce more electricity than it requires to operate the whole system. But its great news that they exceeded the input energy of the lasers. I'm wondering how long it will take to completely breakeven. My thinking is they will now start making significant progress.

As for having cheap high power lasers, Nd:Glass (Phosphate) isn't anything new and will unlikely become something we'll be using to obtain high power lasers anytime soon. If you wanted to, you could build your own Nd:Glass laser

However I like the idea of a fusion powered laser though.

 

[RedCowboy]

Holy smokes, if this proves to be real we might see some extremely powerful and cheap lasers come to market in the coming decades!

Think about a house-scale fusion reactor one day

Our next leap will likely be quantum dot laser diodes that will have gas laser beam quality and be inexpensive to mass produce, I hope some new holographic television becomes popular making these diodes inexpensive and plentiful so hobbyist like myself can build compact knife edge arrays from bunches of their high quality beams.

The NIF uses very large bays of flash-lamp based neodymium doped glass plate beam amplifiers, it's decades old technology but still impressive as the NIF houses the worlds most powerful laser system.

 

[gazer101]

This tech could even be used to power the next generation of spacecraft, maybe even inertial confinement fusion engines resembling the hypothetical Daedalus engine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

 

[kecked]

My question is is the net energy actually positive. If you add up ALL the energy used to run the plant and the laser and not just the energy deliver by the lasers are you still positive. If yes this is big deal. If not I’m going back to bed.

 

[CurtisOliver]

My question is is the net energy actually positive. If you add up ALL the energy used to run the plant and the laser and not just the energy deliver by the lasers are you still positive. If yes this is big deal. If not I’m going back to bed.

It didn’t breakeven in that sense no. Still progress in the right direction regardless.

National Ignition Facility demonstrates net fusion energy gain in world first – Physics World

Surpassing energy breakeven at US facility constitutes a "Wright brothers moment" for fusion research, say researchers

physicsworld.com

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

What do we do with new technology of this power ?????
WOMD :-(
HM

 

[CurtisOliver]

Power cities with clean energy. Nuclear fusion has been used in nuclear weapons for decades.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

You're right -- I forgot about the H bomb.
That's how we start a fusion Reactor !!!!!
HM

 

[RedCowboy]

Here's something interesting.