IEC Fusion vs Tokamak Fusion

[FogerRox]

Run time: 02:13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBfsq80EgOs   Posted on YouTube: May 10, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 10, 2007 By DU Member: FogerRox Views on DU: 1328

 
Dr Bussard is the former Assistant Director of the US Atomic Energy Commission, he was the father of the US Fusion effort from the 1970's into the 1980's. As the Assistant Dir. of the AEC, Dr. Bussard went to Congress and pushed the fusion research programs in the 70's that developed the Tokamak design.

Dr Bussard now advocates a different design. For the last 11 years he has been working under US Navy contracts, building small test devices.



Links & background

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/8/181517/3478

[salib]

1. LOL. Still the Middle East and Russia:

http://www.imf2005.itu.edu.tr/field.php

Turkey is the largest producer of boron ore in the world. Important boron minerals of Turkey are tincal, colemanite and ulexite. Boron minerals contain different amount of B2O3 in their structures. The important factor for industrial application of boron minerals are B2O3 content, so they can replace each other in use . This means that one boron mineral can be trade competitor the other one. Boron minerals can be used in some sectors in the industry as crude minerals. In general, their applications after refining and as end-products are wider than crude ones. Borates find use in different sectors, however the principal markets are: agriculture, detergents and soaps, flame retardants, glass, glazes, frits , enamels and insulation.

Turkey, USA and Russia have the important boron mines. In terms of total reserves, Turkey has a share of 64%, and the USA has 9%. Total proven world boron reserves on the basis of B2O3 content are 363 million tons; 522 million tons are probable and possible, for a grand total as a total of 885 million tons. Turkey has total boron reserves of 563 million tons on the basis of B2O3 content .

---

This process takes naturally occurring Boron 11 (11B at 80+% of naturally occurring Boron), "irradiates it" with hydrogen ions (protons), which then decays to generally non-radioactive residue, releasing energy (so in many ways this is a fission process).

So, now we need Boron. Look where it is.

I kinda like renewables, myself, but that is just me.

[FogerRox]

2. IIRC Boron is the 11th or 10th most common in the Oceans

SO ..... no.

[salib]

3. I am not an expert on the economics of Boron production

However, I would be highly cautious about a claim of what is or is not in the oceans. There is a reason why Boron is mined, and I would suspect it is economic, and likely the least resource (including energy) intensive.

I did see a few references to amount of Boron in the oceans, but nothing (via Google, as limited as that is) indicating a efficient or commercially competitive ocean Boron extraction activity.

Thus, I still say renewable, until the entire resource life cycle cost of this form of fusion/fission can be firmly delineated.

I have had to remind people for over 15 years that Tokamak (and likely laser confinement) based fusion were to be performed commercially using HIGHLY radioactive substances that rendered the entire plant nuclear waste. We need to be careful.

Physicist have been known to leave out the real costs when something is going to actually be built and have a running life cycle.

I should know, as I was part of the the Supercollider fallout.

[FogerRox]

4. being able to plunck down a 500MW plant @ seaside

Just kinda changes the big picture.... a wee bit...

[AlecBGreen]

5. lol

yeah, its funny how everything changes when energy suddenly becomes "free." Need fresh water? No problem! Sequester CO2? Sure thing! Oh the possibilities :drool:

[FogerRox]

6. Did some checking, I was told Boron is in sea salt

YES, but lets be real, there has to be money for the corporations to make. They an get rich, just not FILTHY rich..

BTW, this is the most active forum around

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=5367&start=571&posts=580

[TheBaldyMan]

7. there was a thread on this in Nov 2006 on IED fusion here in GD (link)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2753428"> OP on IED fusion

I don't know if you were familiar with the thread (OP originalpckelly) there is a link to Dr. Bussard's lecture that is available on google videos.

I am a sceptic when it comes to some of his claims and there was quite a lively exchange on the subject. The argument was almost exhaustively explored in the end there was an agreement that the larger scale experimental reactor would be worth building. In Dr. Bussard's video he explains why the reactor project was discontinued, apparently the funding would push it above the threshold where it would have to be reviewed by congress.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1996321846673788606">link to the google video of the lecture given by Dr. Bussard