NIF Again?

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Richard Hull
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by Richard Hull »

The primary purpose for NIF that got congressional funding was "strategic stockpile stewardship". The fusion power bit was just a pot sweetener. Now that the ICF goal is over, they can really get down to doing what they do best, what the device was designed for, and quit lying about the putt-putt boat, laser based, fusion energy. This will allow them to dismiss a large portion of the hangers-on theoretical fusion energy physicists and bring in good qualified nuclear weaponeers.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Mike Beauford
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by Mike Beauford »

Well Richard, you called it again. A day late and a dollar short! Here's the update to the NIF not working out so well now.

http://www.nature.com/news/laser-fusion ... rn-1.12016
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Richard Hull
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by Richard Hull »

My rant about this debacle goes back to the old Songs.com (1990's) and the GAO report about failures in the timetable and appropriations issues for NIF. Just another make-busy project for fusion energy folks and weaponeers. Billions in the hole and we now know how to definitely NOT attain ignition in a putt-putt boat fashion.

And........Just like cold fusion..........no useful fusion here, either.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Chris Bradley
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by Chris Bradley »


An article in IEEE spectrum...

http://online.qmags.com/IEEESM12818089/ ... pg24&mode2

(Don't know if this is behind a paywall, but I shrunk the URL and this seems to work generically.)
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Richard Hull
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by Richard Hull »

Thanks for the IEEE piece. A rather well done general article.

I note old Bob Hirsch effectively poop-pooped its contribution to fusion and stated it looks like it won't even add to fusion knowledge and that the stewardship issue is pretty much "janitorial work".

Even the weaponeers are questioning its value for their work and tend to note that it can just verify what is pretty much already worked out and don't see it contributing mightily to better weaponry.

NIF just came to the party too late, overbudget and without a firm mission in the end. A great terawatt toy, for the most part.

As it dragged into completion, the weaponeers, it turns out, found work-arounds and its fusion goal fell short, which is not all that important as all the fusion goals fall short. No news there.

Oh well.............

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
ARDYN VAN FOSAAEN
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by ARDYN VAN FOSAAEN »

Theyv'e beat this horse since at least the 70's starting with SHIVA.
Last edited by ARDYN VAN FOSAAEN on Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
ARDYN VAN FOSAAEN
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Re: NIF Again?

Post by ARDYN VAN FOSAAEN »

Theyv'e beat this horse since at least the 70's starting with SHIVA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_laser
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