MIT Plans to Produce Working Nuclear Fusion Plant by 2033

[Megalith]

In collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, MIT is embarking on a journey to make fusion power a reality. This is possible due to advances in high-temperature superconductors: the initial goal is to build a compact device that can generate 100 million watts, or 100 megawatts (MW), of fusion power, as a proof of concept.

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, involves light elements, such as hydrogen, smashing together to form heavier elements, such as helium — releasing prodigious amounts of energy in the process. This process produces net energy only at extreme temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius, too hot for any solid material to withstand.

 

[THRESHIN]

It's been a long time coming. Hope they can pull it off.

 

[leathco016]

I would LOVE to see this in my lifetime. This would be a solution to energy generation for our world for a long time.

 

[Yukon Ranger]

Lockheed Martin has been saying for about 5 years now they would have a compact fusion reactor very soon....but no dice yet, at least not unclassified.

Seems to me they always come up with a new idea that “should” work but doesn’t when they actually put it together.

Either that or they are simply hoarding the tech to keep the planet’s socio economic status in line with the status quo....tinfoil hats anyone?

 

[Nukester]

If any college can do this, it would be MIT. Until the energy companies pay off the college to bury it.

 

[NeoNemesis]

If MIT can produce a nuclear reactor that generates more energy than it consumes by 2031 that's incredibly and I wish them the best in their endeavors. If they succeed it'll sure piss of the guys behind ITER.

 

[Mugato]

If David Hahn can make a breeder reactor in his back yard they better have fusion stations for my car in a couple years!

 

[Krenum]

The big wigs will never let it happen. Too much money to be made off Coal & Oil. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[janis2018]

I still waiting when some off amount of electricity will be free.

 

[pek]

So one step closer to fallout 4, this will be the destination of one of the main quests.

 

[sfsuphysics]

2033... for a prototype, way to hype the fuck out of what you're doing. You'll get 4-5 generations of different workers, aka grad students, that cycle through the project.

Goal is for research to produce

Bottom line, it's vaporware. I'm not quite sure how they can put a time frame on when they will find the solutions they need for whatever problems. Real life shit isn't like Civilization or any 4x game, where you can see "Oh cool we'll have invented gunpowder in 4 more turns, so lets plan on what we're going to do when that's done"

 

[MV75]

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. How they are able to convert more energy than there was initially available would be such a fundamental blow out to how everything works.

 

[Nafensoriel]

That's not what they are stating. They are stating they want to create a fusion reaction that gets more energy from its fuel source than it requires to start.

Think of it like a car. You use electrical power to start it( and arguably to run it for modern cars). That power is significantly less than the power it outputs. The process STILL requires fuel and ICEs are still mostly under 50% efficiency. No extra magic energy is created its just conversion of mass to energy of some form of another.

 

[travisty]

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. How they are able to convert more energy than there was initially available would be such a fundamental blow out to how everything works.

Energy/Mass is conserved.

Everything with mass (atoms, neutrons, etc) have energy (e=mc^2 or m=e/c^2), the trick is to release that energy. Once the conditions are right for deuterium and tritium (hydrogen w/ one and two extra neutrons respectively) to fuse they create helium which is stable with two neutrons; thus one neutron is ejected. If the fusion can be produced at a lower energy cost than the freed neutron produces when captured then excess energy is produced.


To put it into an equation:

D + Ti + p = He + n
or
Ti + Ti + p = He + n + n

D = Deuterium
Ti = Tritium
He = Helium
n = neutron
p can either be a photon or a proton (in fusion reactors this will be a photon)

For more information and more of the equations and possible outcomes of fusion see the wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion

 

[kandrey89]

LOL, Europe has been trying to build one that works for the last 40 years...

 

[motomonkey]

The big wigs will never let it happen. Too much money to be made off Coal & Oil. I hope I'm wrong though.

The “Big Wigs” know just like everyone else does, we are running out of oil. Would not surprise me that the oil companies are underwriting a lot of fusion research in the hopes of keeping control, after all, someone has to extract all that deuterium to run the reactors...

 

[motomonkey]

LOL, Europe has been trying to build one that works for the last 40 years...

And? That doesn’t mean MIT can’t do it, been a lot of advances in material sciences in 40 years, and a ton of basic research done also

 

[DejaWiz]

I hope they are successful. This technology would provide clean energy for the eternity.

 

[THRESHIN]

after all, someone has to extract all that deuterium to run the reactors...

Canada has loads of that stuff and tritium. Our reactors are all heavy water (deuterium) and make a ton of tritium in the heavy water as a byproduct. This stuff isn't that hard to get.

 

[BloodyIron]

I recently had a dinner conversation with a scientist working on high-temp superconductors. Holy crap was that an awesome conversation! I am so excited for this shit.

 

[ol1bit]

I have seen all kinds of lofty goals in the past, all have failed. I expect this to fail as well.

 

[naib]

why are these things always "just 15years away"
For the last 20odd years fusion has been discussed and there is some groundbreaking new discovery and the footnote is this discovery will help realise fusion powerplants in 15years... its like the countdown is reset every time

 

[c3k]

Funny. That’s the exact timeline I have for my plan to have a threesome with some SI swimsuit models! By 2033, barring unforeseen obstacles, my plan should come to fruition.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. How they are able to convert more energy than there was initially available would be such a fundamental blow out to how everything works.

This is why I can't take this site seriously when there's any sort of scientific articles posted with the comments that follow.

 

[c3k]

This is why I can't take this site seriously when there's any sort of scientific articles posted with the comments that follow.

Well, as someone identifying with a university, look at this as an opportunity to teach.

 

[MV75]

Energy/Mass is conserved.

Everything with mass (atoms, neutrons, etc) have energy (e=mc^2 or m=e/c^2), the trick is to release that energy. Once the conditions are right for deuterium and tritium (hydrogen w/ one and two extra neutrons respectively) to fuse they create helium which is stable with two neutrons; thus one neutron is ejected. If the fusion can be produced at a lower energy cost than the freed neutron produces when captured then excess energy is produced.


To put it into an equation:

D + Ti + p = He + n
or
Ti + Ti + p = He + n + n

D = Deuterium
Ti = Tritium
He = Helium
n = neutron
p can either be a photon or a proton (in fusion reactors this will be a photon)

For more information and more of the equations and possible outcomes of fusion see the wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion

Thanks for that answer. I've got it now.

View attachment 57674

This is why I can't take this site seriously when there's any sort of scientific articles posted with the comments that follow.

No it says a lot about you, your throw away comment and the sad state of those that liked your post because they most likely follow rick and morty for their scientific education. Go calm down with some szechuan sauce.

 

[Lith1um]

Can't see mankind lasting another 18 years. Too much hatred, too much greed.

Personally I'd rather some serious money spent on LFTR's.