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Page added on March 1, 2013
Nuclear Fusion in Five Years?
Lockhead Martin’s Skunk Works is famous for developing advanced technologies. Now Skunk Works Program Manager Charles Chase has outlined their plan for creating a 100 MW Fusion prototype by 2017.
For the last 50 years nuclear fusion has been viewed as the future of power production. With an energy density that’s six orders of magnitude greater than oil, running on low-cost deuterium, it makes sense that nations around the world have been pouring money into nuclear fusion R&D.
Until now the most successful fusion projects have used a technology called a tokamak. According to Chase, “…the physics of a tokamak require enormous size.” In
fact, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), where the most advanced research is taking place, is nearly 100 feet tall. But height isn’t the only issue. The ITER weighs 23,000 tons and is made of 1 million parts.
With ITER’s enormous size comes enormous complexity and cost. This, Chase says, is pushing the delivery date back by decades. “The first power plant based on ITER is not projected to be ready until the mid-2040s at best.”
To speed up this timetable Skunk Works is proposing a scaled down fusion reactor. “What if… you were able to generate fusion in a compact form-factor? Something that would generate 100 MW of power. Enough power for a small city of 50-100 thousand people, in something that would fit on the back of a truck.”
While technical details in Chase’s talk were sparse (it is a black ops division) he did say that back at Skunk Works they have built a compact experimental apparatus and are already seeing good results.
If the project is successful it would mean that portable, scalable and inexpensive energy might be available to the entire planet sooner than we expect.
20 Comments on "Nuclear Fusion in Five Years?"
J-Gav on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 5:30 pm
Skunk Works? Do I smell a rat? A dead rat?
dave thompson on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 5:31 pm
5 years away? Always has been some years in the not to distant future.
Hugh Culliton on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 6:40 pm
An interesting concept. If they’re able to make it work in the next 5-10 years, I’ll be surprised. But will the economy have contracted so much by then that their reseach funds dry up? Time will tell but even if they succeed, globalization and suburbia are still doomed.
dsula on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 7:21 pm
That’s exactly the problem we’re facing. With a little bit of luck we end up figuering out this fusion stuff and in the end completely trash the planet. I wish this PO would finally do the job it’s supposed to do: end civilization.
DC on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 7:26 pm
They are no closer to ‘small’ fusion as they are to big fusion. Both are mirages.
They cant even do so-called SMR yet using fission. (Those have just around the corner for nearly as long too).
Article is a bit a joke really, but it raises the question, what is the connection between ‘skunkworks’ (black-ops aircraft) and fusion? I really dont see a common thread between the two at all. When did they get out of the ultra-secret aircraft business and into the field of speculative plasma physics?
BC on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 7:31 pm
Peak oil is always “almost here.” I remember back in the 90s when it was such an imminent disaster. 20 years later, it’s still “almost here.” Gosh golly darn, guess we’ll have to learn to deal with it!
Kenjamkov on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 7:36 pm
Struggling to keep the planes in the air. If they can fit it on a truck they can fit it on a big plane.
Being “black ops” they will make a few to protect a few cities(selected for maximum control) after the collapse.
PrestonSturges on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 8:37 pm
MIT’s Levitated Dipole was about the size of shipping container and looked very promising, but the funding was mysteriously cut two years ago.
PrestonSturges on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 8:37 pm
Levitated Dipole
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levitated_dipole
PrestonSturges on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 8:44 pm
Yep, he’s talking about deuterium as fuel, it sounds like they are building on the dipole design.
actioncjackson on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 10:14 pm
BC, find another site dimple face, take a look at the price of a barrel of oil.
mike on Fri, 1st Mar 2013 11:00 pm
BC peak oil is here, what the hell do you think is happening ? just because you were under the illusion it would be some kind of 3 day civilisation zombie collapse rather than the long drawn out painful century of collapsing economies that is will be, doesn’t make it any less true.
GregT on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 12:53 am
Mike,
It won’t drag out for a century. We’ll be lucky if it drags out for a few decades.
BillT on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 3:16 am
Techie porn…fusion is.
MrEnergyCzar on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 4:46 am
It’s like going back in time….same claims.
MrEnergyCzar
Newfie on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 6:50 am
Limitless energy from nuclear fusion is just ten years away. It always has been, and it always will be (just ten years away). ROTFLMAO.
Zaphod on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 6:53 am
Hmm……
This is the same outfit that delivered the A-12, a mach 3 altitude greater that 80000 ft at a time thought to be impossible.
Hmm………
dashster on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 1:40 pm
Why are they deciding to announce it now? Are they campaigning for more government funding?
KingM on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 2:22 pm
Doomer porn…peak oil is.
PrestonSturges on Sat, 2nd Mar 2013 4:22 pm
Fusion has always been 30 years away – they are talking about 5 years using a much simpler technology.