[DEBATE] : Aneutronic Fusion is RE

[Alan Murphy]

Unlike large dam based hydroelectric and nuclear fission, aneutronic fusion
is a renewable energy. But even without fusion I think the other REs plus
Energy Efficiency can, and will have to, eventually cover the
energy presently supplied by fossil carbon. So I don't fit into a left/low
energy category.
Alan


*Aneutronic fusion* is fusion power with minimal release of neutrons.
Aneutronic
fusion would greatly reduce problems associated with neutron radiation and
requirements for biological shielding, remote handling, and safety issues.
There is possible cost reductions by converting the energy of the charged
fusion products directly to electricity.

Aneutronic fusion reactions produce the overwhelming bulk of their energy in
the form of charged particles instead of neutrons. This means that energy
could be converted directly into electricity with equipment that is more
compact and cheaper than that involved in conventional thermal production of
electricity. Aneutronic fusion with direct electric conversion could produce
electricity with reduced capital costs.

Direct conversion techniques can either be inductive, based on changes in
magnetic fields, or electrostatic, based on making charged particles work
against an electric field. If the fusion reactor worked in a pulsed mode,
inductive techniques could be used.

A sizable fraction of the energy released by aneutronic fusion would be
radiated as x-rays. Some of this energy could also be converted directly to
electricity. Because of the photoelectric effect, X-rays passing though an
array of conducting foils would transfer some of their energy to electrons,
which can then be captured electrostatically.

http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php
Fusion Now!

by Rezwan <http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/member/2/> on Jul 19,
2006at 07:56
PM

The "future" starts NOW!

The Focus Fusion Society is committed to bringing immediacy to humanity's
quest for Fusion. This means:

   1. Fusion energy needs to move to the fast track of
development.<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/printer/fusion_now/#fast#fast>Currently,
it's just an under-funded footnote in the "Energy Crisis"
   conversation;
   2. Barriers to the discovery of fusion need to be
overcome.<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/printer/fusion_now/#bar#bar>Many
of these barriers are not technological so much as psychological; and
   3. We all have a vital role in making Fusion
happen.<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/printer/fusion_now/#role#role>We
don't need to wait for the government or some energy giant out there
to
   solve the fusion puzzle. It is our puzzle and we can do it now.

Fusion energy needs to move to the fast track of development.

For fusion to happen, it needs to become a top research priority.
Currently, it's not, as noted
here.<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/103/>One of
the most important things we are doing with this website is raising
awareness of focus fusion energy as a non-polluting alternative to other
fuels.

Fusion also needs to become a big part of the Energy Crisis conversation.
Currently, it is not.

According to most sources, the world today is caught in an escalating energy
crisis. <http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/energy_crisis/>The
crisis has profound economic, political and environmental impacts. If
nothing changes, the conflicts, wars, environmental problems and
poverty<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/poverty/>the
world suffers now will get much worse.

In the face of this crisis, the right wing promotes nuclear fission
reactors<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/its_not_fission/>and
downplays the security and long-term radioactive waste disposal issues
that that implies. The left wing promotes renewables, even though they
acknowledge that renewables won't provide anywhere near the levels of energy
that oil does. So, they say, we have to get ready for a low energy world -
and all the conflict, regulation and inequality that that implies.

The Energy Crisis conversation is dominated by the nukes vs.
renewables/low-energy-world debate. In all this, the possibility of
unlimited energy derived from fusion is curiously missing. At best, fusion
is just a tiny footnote in the "Energy Crisis" literature. And in that tiny
footnote, they estimate that with conventional research efforts currently
under way, we might have it in 50 years.
The principal barrier to the discovery of fusion is not a technological wall
so much as a psychological one.

They say we might have fusion in 50 years. What's the hold up?  What are the
barriers to developing fusion? There are many, but the most difficult ones
are not so much technological as they are psychological.  [click here for a
look at barriers.]<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/blocks_to_fusion/>

These barriers exist in the general public as well as in the fusion research
establishment. For researchers, it's not just a lack of funding, but also
the fact that most of the funding goes to research on the tokamak, a large,
unwieldy and very expensive device that has consumed billions of dollars in
research money and is still very far from achieving net energy. The
estimates that "we will have fusion in ~50 years" are based on the progress
of this conventional research. [For a detailed timeline of the 50 years, See
the ITER website. <http://www.iter.org/> You have to navigate to the
timeline.  Click on "The ITER Project", then in the left nav bar, the
"Timeline" link shows a 10 year plan to construct something and "indicate
that, if the ITER Organisation is established in 2006, the first plasma
should be possible in ITER by the end of 2016." Moving down in the left nav
bar you can click on "Beyond ITER" which has the timeline for operational
power-plants to come on line.  A very detailed breakdown of the 50 years
required.  The direct link to the timeline is
http://www.iter.org/gifs2/long-terms.jpg]

To better illustrate the blocks in the conventional approach to fusion, see
this comparison of the approach taken by the conventional fusion researchers
and Focus Fusion.<http://focusfusion.org/log/index.php/site/article/conventional_fusion/>The
blocks revolve around three different elements:  Choice of Fuel,
Choice
of Reactor and Choice of Generator.
You/I/We have a vital role in making Fusion happen.

Despite criticism of conventional fusion research as listed above, the US
Government is narrowly focusing its research funding on it (click here for
details). Results are not expected for several decades. In the meantime, the
Government is cutting off funding for alternative approaches such as ours,
and corporate sponsors are also not very motivated to pitch in. We can
complain about this. We can wait for the 50 year conventional breakthrough
(which won't make energy any cheaper as discussed above). Or we can take
action and simply get the job done ourselves.

In today's world, individuals have more power than ever. With the internet,
individuals can come together and amplify that power. People are active
members of the global community with a direct role in tackling the problems
we face.

Click here for details on how to get involved and make fusion happen NOW.

*Fusion NOW! Because tomorrow never comes.*