Nuclear Fusion Plant to be built in North Notts

[BritDownUnder]

I am not sure this is a good idea as fusion is not yet viable and the govt is short of cash right now.
Link here.

There may be a higher chance to seeing Shergar or finding out the identity of Jack the Ripper.

The jobs are probably welcome if there are any.

[adam2]

I consider this to be good news.
For most of my life fusion power has been about 30 years in the future.
More recently it has been 10 years in the future, and may now be nearer than that.
Fusion power violates no laws of physics and could be a new source of clean energy. Even if hopelessly uneconomic at first it should become cheaper.

[anotherexlurker]

I will not be holding my breath, ignoring the fact that at present no one has a proven design for a working fusion power plant , the article states it should be operational sometime in the 2040's so given the usual delays that will be in the 2050's so plenty of time for a UK government to have changed its mind about 10 times.

I still remember the excitement when the local JET Tokamak broke the world record back in 1997 (at the time one of my lodgers was one of the team), 25 years later whilst the more recent experiments have proved encouraging I would want to see what actually happens with ITER before getting too excited.
Given how long our planning process takes it might be prudent to submit an application soon in the hope it gets approved by the time we know how well ITER works!!!!

[BritDownUnder]

I actually consider fusion power to be non-renewable due to my understanding of the fusion reactions as follows.

Fusion energy is generated by hydrogen atoms fusing, overcoming activation energies by using high temperatures and magnetic fields. The sun (mostly but its very complicated Nobel Prize sort of stuff) fuses four normal hydrogen atoms to form one helium atom to generate energy but the proposed fusion reactors intend to use one deuterium atom (a rarer but naturally occuring form of hydrogen that can be extracted) and one tritium atom (an even rarer form of hydrogen that is man made in uranium nuclear reactors). This other fusion reaction is chosen because the temperature required in a fusion reactor for this deuterium/tritium reaction is a bit lower but still tens of millions of degrees.
Proposals have been made to mine a precursor of tritium, helium 3 on the moon, and bring it back to earth. To me this is getting a bit silly that to generate energy on the earth you have to mine the moon.
I think that the Helium 3 is made by the solar wind over millions of years.

No wonder why the Chinese are intent on landing on the Moon's South pole where the Helium 3 supposedly is.

[adam2]

I consider nuclear fusion to be renewable.
Deuterium is present in effectively unlimited amounts in seawater and other water, extraction is well understood.
Tritium is only present in the air in minute concentrations. It is produced in existing nuclear fission reactors, and could in future be produced in fusion reactors.

No need to import it from the moon.

[BritDownUnder]

I have heard that Tritium could be made from Lithium lining on the walls of the fusion chambers, presumably once the sustainable fusion reactions have been perfected.

[adam2]

I have heard that Tritium could be made from Lithium lining on the walls of the fusion chambers, presumably once the sustainable fusion reactions have been perfected.

Yes you are correct, and prior to achieving stable and reliable fusion, tritium may be produced in existing fission reactors, and already is so produced.

[johnny]

I am not sure this is a good idea as fusion is not yet viable and the govt is short of cash right now.
Link here.

There may be a higher chance to seeing Shergar or finding out the identity of Jack the Ripper.

The jobs are probably welcome if there are any.

Looked like a puff piece. Hopes and dreams.

[adam2]

Not heard about this recently. Has anyone got recent news ?

[clv101]

A few months ago they were looking to hire a consultant to progress:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/com ... ower-plant

I expect this process hasn't concluded yet, so they won't have done any 'work' yet.

Completed project by 2040, just 15 years, the clock is ticking!!

[adam2]

Thanks for the update.