/sci/ - Science & Math

Until they run out of tritium, basically.

If the beryllium wall isn't soaking much, the water in the steam engine bolted to the side will take the remainder. So it's just a matter of doing something constructive with the heavy water produced.

>someone from greenpeace who opposed fusion
Wow. I'm sorry you had to talk to such a person.
Do they understand what fusion is and how it is fundamentally different than fission?

this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_power#Waste_management

>>3421665
Heavy water?
I wasn't aware you could get that from fusion. That'd be useful in the production of tritium though, so I'm not going to argue if it is the case
>>3421669
The argument was that wind power is available now and that for the money we spend on fusion (which is pathetic compared to some spending) we could be building a load of windmills instead. There's an article summing up their view here: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/ITERprojectFrance/
The worst part is, most greenpeace supporters are actually in favour of it and seem oblivious as to the stance of the organisation.

>>3421684
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_power#Waste_management
<3, thanks. I'll nick the citations from this and use them

Hi Greenpeace UK,
I'd like to preface this by saying I fully support your stance on global warming and controls on GM food, and your protection of biodiversity internationally. Your organisation undoubtedly does net good for humanity, and I'm glad it exists.

Nuclear fusion is a method of power generation which promises almost unlimited power generation from hydrogen and helium fuel, and produces no radioactive by-products. It cannot go into meltdown, and even a catastrophic failure would release so little radiation that there would be little risk to anything or anyone outside of the plant. The radiation given off is in the form of short lived isotopes, meaning the most radioactive element after usage is the containment vessel itself.

Greenpeace's stance on nuclear fusion is given in this article: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/ITERprojectFrance/

>>3421806

"Governments should not waste our money on a dangerous toy which willnever deliver any useful energy," said Jan Vande Putte of GreenpeaceInternational. Instead, they should invest in renewable energy which isabundantly available, not in 2080 but today"

Fusion isn't dangerous. the ITER, which is referred to as a "toy" is vital in our search for productive fusion. Thinking that €10Bn that is allocated for science and engineering funding could be used on energy generation is foolish. The primary reason we are predicted to not have fusion power for several decades is that there is not enough funding and Greenpeace is using argument from before ITER was commissioned against the commissioning of ITER. That an organisation in favour of sustainable power generation is against ground-breaking research into what may prove to be the future of sustainable power generation amazes me.
Is this still your official view on the matter? If so, can you please provide me with some kind of explanation as to why Greenpeace would attack ITER instead of, say, the 6.7 Billion dollars the US spends on war every month?

Looking forward to your response,
[name]

>>3421691

>>3421911
I see stable helium and a neutron.

>>3421632
>I'm in a conversation with someone from greenpeace who opposed fusion
Fuck them. They won't be happy until we're all living in mud huts, which ironically would be worse for the environment than developing a green economy.

Fucking hippies are going to make society collapse if they get their way.

>>3421934
>>3421941
haters gonna hate
are you really incapable of seeing that they have good intentions?

>>3422001
Sure anyone can see that. Fucking stupid people can have good intentions and fuck things up for everyone too. Ever watch a children's cartoon? If you'll remember, there is always the well meaning fool who fucks up things for the other characters.

So yes, haters gonna hate because you deserve to be hated on.

>>3422108
>I deserve to be hated on because I disagree with the people you dislike but won't dismiss them
wat

>>3422001

Nobody doubts good intention. What we doubt is competence.

>>3422001
I don't want good intentions. I want good RESULTS.

>>3422123
wat
I was under the impression you were trying to say that their intentions are good, therefore they are competent enough to solve energy problems.

>>3421925

That's the proint. Neutrons are not harmless. At that energy their interactions with matter would cause, for example, embrittlement of the reactor walls if they are made of metal (Carbon doesn't do this as much, though). Aneutronic fusion is possible... In principle.

>>3422139
no, they're irresponsible reactionary idiots. It's just that they are in a position in which they could potentially do a great deal of good and it seems that they're unaware of the relevance of fusion. I wouldn't personally trust greenpeace with a battery charger.
>>3422151
indeed.
Li-6 can be injected and absorb some of them, I think, but neutrons would be a problem

>>3421691
>The argument was that wind power is available now and that for the money we spend on fusion (which is pathetic compared to some spending) we could be building a load of windmills instead.

where does this person live
i wish to slap them

>>3422195
France probably.
Careful, vegans have a tendency of having non-coagulating blood and skeletons made of broccoli.

also
keep a keen eye on MTF, looks quite promising
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetized_target_fusion
basically you confine the plasma as would be done in ITER, but for a much shorter time period. then, once it's "warmed up", fire the particles toward a target.

it's the best of both worlds, in principle anyway

>>3422211
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetized_target_fusion

I realise I'm probably making a serious mistake but it looks like this could be done with a fusor and a high powered electron gun that's well calibrated. If that's the case, I need a vacuum chamber

>>3422219
noooooooooooooooooooo
mtf works at much higher energies, and presumably much faster

although your idea might be a fun proof of concept, at least to see if you get any anomalous readings

>>3422233
I think I have to make a fusor. It's not really optional. If there's some way I can work out of getting the memory wire I just got into it, all the better :D