Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: Crunch time for Big Fusion?
Date: Oct 17, 0:46 am
Poster: Ivan Vuletich

On Oct 17, 0:46 am, Ivan Vuletich wrote:

[snip]
>
>Engineers, mechanical, electrical, etc., were always part of this bigger effort from the 1970 onward, but they are always subordinated to the Physics priesthood. Until the thing goes over unity COP, power engineers would be just another paycheck hung on the already bloasted budgets RH

I must admit to airing my predjudices here, I'm from an engineering background.

The type people I had in mind would be engineering managers with real power station station experience. In my view the ideal person would be someone with experience in the design, construction & comissioning of an experimental or pilot power station (might be a bit hard to find tho). One of this persons jobs would be specifically, to kill off the bloat.

Of caouse the priesthood would scream blue murder at this, as the type of person I have in mind probably wouldn't have a PhD and would be telling them what to do. Which in the case of a project like ITER would be perfectly justified as on its stated aims is to produce 10 times more power out than what is put in (don't know how they are measuring that).

>I am a firm believer that the cream naturally rises to the top. Withoout massive funding, the 9 to 5 priests of physics would melt back into the safe and fuzzy world of acedemia or military projects.
>
Most of the academics that I have met, including the engineering ones are terrible technical managers (or any other type for that matter).

>It is possible that the people who are both gifted and live and breathe making fusion happen would find some way to force natures secrets out as in the old days.
>

>Bob Hirsch noted to me that if net power producing fusion can be done by man at all, and if it is comeercially feasible, it can be done on a desktop with smaller and reduced infrastructure methods and materials. This is well spoken and thought out.
>
>A 2 megawatt fission reactor minus shielding and power takeoff assemblies can be made the size of a large desk. Fusion systems should follow this model.

I like it!. What do you think would be the minimum size (in terms of power out) of this type of system?.

IJV