Is the National Ignition Facility (NIF) getting close?

[marvin57]

Fusion, anyone? Not quite yet, but researchers show just how close we've come

Laser fusion experiment yields record energy

[DeltaV]

No.

Energy in: 1700000 J
Energy out: 8000 J

8000/1700000 = 0.0047

[ladajo]

Probably no coincidence these articles surface with budget drama in the face...

[GIThruster]

Didn't they finally own a few months ago that they don't expect to ever achieve what they set out to?

[marvin57]

No.

Energy in: 1700000 J
Energy out: 8000 J

8000/1700000 = 0.0047

Correction FTA: Neuton Energy out: 8000 J

[DeltaV]

As you can see, I'm not a plasma physicist.

I just hang around here in case one of them comes up with a 5+ GW p-11B aneutronic power source for my supercruising vectored-thrust BWB SSTO backyard space-hopper.

So, assuming the neutrons are from D-T fusion,
http://www.efda.org/fusion/how-fusion-w ... onditions/

Eighty percent of the fusion energy is carried away by the neutrons

Energy in: 1700000 J
Energy out: 8000 J/0.80

1.25(8000/1700000) = 0.0059

[kcdodd]

I just hang around here in case one of them comes up with a 5+ GW p-11B aneutronic power source for my supercruising vectored-thrust BWB SSTO backyard space-hopper.

I would love to see the design

[ladajo]

Didn't they finally own a few months ago that they don't expect to ever achieve what they set out to?

I think something of the sort was hand waved in the GAO report. I vaguely recall thinking it was a "its not as useless as it may appear" argument. Especially when one considers the entire power project was a political play to up funding. Funding that primarily supports weapons research (stockpile stewardship being the PC term).

[DeltaV]

I would love to see the design :)

It will have to remain between my ears and in talk-polywell word pictures until I get some time to learn how to use my new CAD software. And get the shock tunnel built.

Integrating the ducted, semi-spherical VTOL+sub-M2.5 propulsors with the hypersonic aeroshell and the REB ducts is going to be a bitch.

[DeltaV]

I vaguely recall thinking it was a "its not as useless as it may appear" argument.

Burgers.

[ladajo]

I remember that...

[marvin57]

Energy in: 1700000 J
Energy out: 8000 J/0.80

1.25(8000/1700000) = 0.0059

Well, this article: Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab says:

The BBC understands that during an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel - the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.

So it would appear that now all that remains is to make up for the inefficiency between the input power to the lasers and the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel, which I would imagine is not as great a gap any more as your .6% figure implies.

[mvanwink5]

I think the use of the NIH facility to cook burgers will be more economical ($ loss per "shot" will be lower). Maybe by the end of this year General Fusion will put all these boondoggle government projects into history's dust bin and save us some serious cash. Government managed projects don't usually pass the burger test.

[Robthebob]

Didn't they finally own a few months ago that they don't expect to ever achieve what they set out to?

This

[paperburn1]

You can never take the sky from me.

Firefly