Why we don't have fusion reactors 101

[Dr Mordrid]

The name is FUSOR and it was developed by Philo T. Farnsworth (patent holder for TV) and Dr. Robert L. Hirsch (former head of the federal fusion program).

FUSOR actually fuse deuterium into tritium, producing a VERY high neutron flux. They *could* work as a practical reactor given enough research resources, but there is a problem;

Why no FUSOR

A FUSOR in operation;



The difference between FUSOR and the technologies under development today?

The FUSOR uses electrostatic confinement while "newer" designs use magnetic and laser confinement. The former is highly power efficient while the latter two are not.

The Farnsworth Chronicles

Dr. Mordrid

[dave m]

OH NO...

Dr Mordrid just gave it away, the Parhelia works on Fusion technology, just look at those Sundogs in the picture in his post

[Dr Mordrid]

Hehehehe....don't you wish

Actually the picture is of an NV30 overclocked to match the Parhelia's performance in 3DMark

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

I can't help but think that the top executives at the big oil companies are just downright stupid. There is no such thing as an oil company. The commodity they provide is called ENERGY. If the fusor works, indeed if any fusion generator works, the energy would be pratically free to produce, with the only big costs being the original investment in equipment. And we would not be dependent upon Middle eastern oil anymore. Maybe that's what these fat cats at Exxon et. al. are doing, just taking personal kickbacks from the Saudis to stay there and keep things going as they are and not research alternative resources.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
I can't help but think that the top executives at the big oil companies are just downright stupid.

If the fusor works, indeed if any fusion generator works, the energy would be pratically free to produce, with the only big costs being the original investment in equipment.

Yep, the energy would be cheap to produce. You nailed it. I'm not saying everyone will have a backyard FUSOR, but... Any state/country that doesn't like the jacked-up prices these companies always charge, could just build one of their own. It's a lot harder to leech profits when you can't artificially inflate the price of something do to "regional instability." or bury your profits as a ride-along percentage of some other amount.

Besides, this wouldn't be as much of a threat to the petrol folks as it would be to the miners. Coal plants might even be outlawed.

[TnT]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
I can't help but think that the top executives at the big oil companies are just downright stupid. There is no such thing as an oil company. The commodity they provide is called ENERGY. If the fusor works, indeed if any fusion generator works, the energy would be pratically free to produce, with the only big costs being the original investment in equipment. And we would not be dependent upon Middle eastern oil anymore. Maybe that's what these fat cats at Exxon et. al. are doing, just taking personal kickbacks from the Saudis to stay there and keep things going as they are and not research alternative resources.

I think auto companies get kickbacks for not improving fuel efficiency.

[Lucid]

What do you guys think about this ?

[impact]

I'm gonna get Fox Mulder on your ass!

j/k

Seriously, it's really weird... but reminds me of the Keely Motor and his Sympathetic Vibratory Physics or whatever he called it.

[rubank]

A couple of years ago TEOTWAWKI was supposed to happen at the turn of the millennium, now they´ve put it off to 2007.



rubank

[Gurm]

Lucid,

I have heard of this guy before. His devices don't work. He has never successfully demonstrated one to an actual audience of impartial observers... although several prominent research organizations have invited him to.

*shrug*

Yet another quackball.

- Gurm

[Lucid]

Originally posted by impact
I'm gonna get Fox Mulder on your ass!

Heheh, well.. While my knowledge and understanding of physics, engineering and such are minimal, I found Tom Bearden's MEG (Motionless Electromagnetic Generator) stuff very interesting because (apparently) it's not just theory, ie. they have a working device (which got a patent recently) and AFAIK the principles have been replicated by other independent researchers (see http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/meg.htm).

At least I think this should not be compared to Ufology

[Wombat]

I used to think that the auto companies got kickbacks. The answer is a lot simpler though. As technologies improve, it becomes cheaper to perform at the current level. Car companies <I>could</I> make more efficient cars, but it would cost them more. Combine this with the public's lack of concern, and it's more profitable to continue to produce the same kind of engines.

If we (at least Americans) actually wanted more fuel-efficient cars, the auto plants would adapt to meet the market need. But that's not what we want. If you haven't noticed, everybody wants their own SUV, and expects gas prices to drop to support their 8mpg Ford Excessives.

[TnT]

Originally posted by Wombat
I used to think that the auto companies got kickbacks. The answer is a lot simpler though. As technologies improve, it becomes cheaper to perform at the current level. Car companies <I>could</I> make more efficient cars, but it would cost them more. Combine this with the public's lack of concern, and it's more profitable to continue to produce the same kind of engines.

If we (at least Americans) actually wanted more fuel-efficient cars, the auto plants would adapt to meet the market need. But that's not what we want. If you haven't noticed, everybody wants their own SUV, and expects gas prices to drop to support their 8mpg Ford Excessives.

Quite true, I know that a lot of the blame also lies in consumers hands. That doesn't mean business' shouldn't take blame for only following the trend instead of making the world a better place for you and for me...

[Wombat]

Sure it does. I'm tired of people thinking they should be protected from themselves. We have all the information, it's not someone else's fault we make bad choices.

[TnT]

I don't think anyone should be protected from their own stupidity, but the logic that it's all the consumers fault has problems. For instance drug dealers are only filling a whole made by desires. That doesn't make the drug dealers okay in what they are doing. Just because joe average computer user doesn't know about security holes in some software doesn't mean the company can just ignore it. People choose to waste money on a SUV and manufacturers decide to produce them whatever crappy way they want, it's a two way street.