Can anybody provide me with a source for estimates about power output by fusion power? Can it be assumed that a fusion reactor has a power output in the range of some kilowatts? Thank you!
Dear Volker,
first the health warning. Fusion power is 25 years away from being a reality, and it has been that way since the 1950's LOL.
Evidence from CERN and other research centres tends to show that fusion reactors are likely to be very big to generate more power than they consume, we are talking about 100MW or more.
Have a look at:
https://www.iter.org/mach
and the references given here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokamak
Other small-scale work on things like cold fusion are mostly discredited:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_fusion
even plasma injection systems are big.
http://fusionenergy.lanl.gov/
as is ICF:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_confinement_fusion
please mark up this answer if you find it useful
Best regards
Paul
As a nuclear engineer, I worked at MIT plasma fusion laboratory during my graduate studies and until now we don't have an economically-viable (only technically viable) nuclear fusion path forward.
Hence and for the purpose of your question, I don't believe we will have fusion power generation that can compete with currently operating fission-based nuclear power reactors. The cost would be prohibitive if you want to generate thermal power in the MW range from fusion-based reactors.
Hope this helps answer your question.
Professor Yehia Khalil
Yale University
USA
Dear Prof. Khalil, I am not so interested in economical viable, more technicale viability. Do you know of any technical studies regarding small scale fusion power generators? The background is to use it in space, where other power sources cannot be used.
Thank you!
I am sure that. Today I have opened a new project to everyone that want do that.
Pulsotron 500k-SE will try it. We want use them to power ships and trucks.
Pulsotron-2 reached ignition conditions and was the first to certificate it in an independent certification company, so I think not only that it is possible that also is more easy as people think. The problem is that everyone try heat electrons, so very big machines are built. The problem is that electrons not make fusions and disturbs because separates the ions but everyone do it again, again and again!!!!
The main challenge for fusion power is cost. While at MIT as a graduate student, I conduct research at MIT Plasma Fusion Center. All looks good on a scale=scale design. The cost issue becomes a major concern when the design is scaled up to match a full-scale commercial facility. It remains a long road for fusion power to materialize in a practical manner.
Professor Yehia Khalil, Yale University, USA
Fellow of the University of Oxford, UK
The cost is related to the technology. If it is tried something impossible and does not work then the response is to increase the cost again and again.
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