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Category Archives: Technology
ITER-1 – The international fusion test facility
ITER will begin fusion tests within a decade. We discuss this huge machine. The long awaited fusion test bed, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is under construction in Cadarache, France. ITER is an hour (70 km) North of Marseilles (South-Eastern … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Fusion Reactor, Fusion Timeline, Ignition, ITER, Tokamak Divertor
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NIF Notes_Hohlraum Spring-2015
Tiny target chambers may become rugby footballs. Will these save ICF/IFE? During the early spring (2015), the National Ignition Facilty (NIF) at LLNL released/published several modifications to the target design that are worth mentioning. One is the realization that the … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged CBET, Hohlraum, M. Rosen, national ignition facility, NIF beam overlap, rugby hohlraum, SBS, SRS, T. Ma
2 Comments
NIF Notes_tents Spring 2015
The NIF fusion lab reports that their target support structure could hurt implosion results – our discussion. During the early spring (2015), the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL released/published several modifications to the target that are worth mentioning. One … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Hohlraum, hohlraum tents, LLNL, NIF, target support structure
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NIF Notes_shells Spring-2015
NIF reports tests with capsule designs that illuminate the path toward great results During the early spring (2015), the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL released/published several modifications to the targets worth discussing. One is the realization that the gossamer … Continue reading
KMS Fusion – an addendum
KMS Fusion, an early ICF group mostly remembered for its mashup of good science and bad politics. This is our historical addendum. An excellent article on the beginning of ICF (inertial confinement fusion) was posted on January 28th by ScienceLine’s … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Alex Wellerstein, Chelsey Coombes, Chroma Laser, DBIS, icf, inertial fusion, Keeve M Siegel, Keith Brueckner, Kent Moncur, Kip Siegel, KMS fusion
30 Comments
Fusion Paths Not Taken -4
Secretive Tri Alpha Energy makes fusion progress. Has private backers and Government ones too, but –Russian– not U.S. We finish our Fusion Paths Not Taken series by looking at Tri Alpha Energy (TAE). TAE was started with the explicit goal … Continue reading
Fusion Paths Not Taken -3
Outlier LPP proposes Dense Plasma Focus and the hardest fuel! Do they really have a chance? In these final two posts, we discuss proposals that use magnetized target fusion ideas but both have the goal using p-11B fuel at successful … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged dense plasma focus, DFP, Eric Lerner, focus fusion, Hamid Yousefi, LPP, LPPF, p-B11
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Fusion Paths not taken 2
Do magnetized plasma targets offer options for smaller, cheaper fusion power? In this part -2 of our Paths Not Followed series, we discuss 3 proposals that show promise of being fusion game changers. All consider manipulating blobs of plasma isolated … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Chris Pihl, Colliding Plasma, David Kirtley, F. Douglas Witherspoon, Field Reversed Configuration, Fusion Engine, General Fusion, George Votroubek, Helion Energy, HyperV Technologies, Hypervelocity, John Slough, LPP plasma focus, Magnetized Target fusion, Michel Laberge, MSNW, PJMIF, PLX
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Fusion Paths Not Taken – 1
Magnetically confined plasma fusion was abandoned decades ago. Has their time come? Magnetic fusion concepts require coils to form the field. One path that is still being proposed is to embed the coils into the fusion-grade plasma because confinement can … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged CFR, Charles Chase, cusp, Dynomak, EMC2, Lockheed-Martin, multipole, polywell, Robert Bussard, Spheromak, Thomas Jarboe
3 Comments
Stirring the Fusion Pot
8 companies are looking for non-government funding of their innovative fusion ideas. Hoax or real? There are a number of reports in the recent months of Amazing! New! and Simple! ways of generating fusion power. Fraction of the cost of … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged 1958 Fusion Reactor Ad, D-He3, D-T, Dynomak, EMC2, General Fusion, Helion Energy, KMS fusion, Lockheed CFR, LPP plasma focus, Naive fusion, p-B11, Tri Alpha Energy
2 Comments
ABM Test Finally Succeeded, Maybe
Successful test of troublesome ABM used known-flawed kill vehicle. Meaningful or theater? The U.S. successfully tested its anti-ICBM missile on 2014-Jun-22, with a launch from Vandenberg AFB in California. News was trumpeted everywhere! The LA Times says that the launch … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged ABM, ABM test, antibalistic missile test, GBI, GMD, ICBM, MDA, Missle Defense Agency
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NIF shifts toward success – 4
NIF addresses the universal RT instability all implosion fusion schemes must face, is there 7more that they can do? NIF people limited the impact of the RT instability in their most recent report. But they have more to do and … Continue reading
NIF shifts toward success – 3
NIF released positive data. Is some unexpected effect is blocking full success? The staff of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Livermore California released papers on very positive new results in their work toward inertial confinement fusion (ICF). NIF is … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Hohlraum, icf, laser blockage, laser fusion, LLNL, NIF, NIF target, plasma jets, shell burn through
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NIF shifts toward success – 2
NIF’s 2013 data showed fusion can be feasible but geometries need adjustment. We continue our discussion by looking at target geometry. Yes, NIF seems on a success path, but they do need to clean up various physical details. That would … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Enhanced Heating, gain=1, Hohlraum, icf, John Edwards, National Ignitioin facility, NIF
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NIF shifts toward success – 1
Tweaks at NIF generate good results – to come: spectacular shots NIF (National Ignition Facility) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California published results during the dark of winter that are exciting, show astounding differences from all their previous announcements. … Continue reading
When NIF went viral
Internet joy – laser fusion at breakeven! um…NOT. BBC reported, copycats ignited. Smoke only, no flame. Big buzz in Technology news is the rumor that the NIF (National Ignition Facility) laboratory in California made a spectacular step forward. Did they … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged BBC fusion report, breakeven, Daniel Clery, fusion milestone, laser fusion, LLNL, NIF, Science Insider
6 Comments
ABM: Under The Dome – K2B
Why spend tens of billions of US$ for ballistic missile defense if we cannot rely on it? The previous post examined reasons, from K2B, that people ardently support massive weapons programs which do not work. We apply those points to … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged ABM, EKV, GBI, GBI cost overruns, GBI mismanagement, HTK, kinetic kill, KKV, PAC-3, SM-3, THAAD
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Knights to Battleships – Ardent Support For The Unreliable
Why do people support programs that are not reliable? LastTechAge has been reviewing anti ballistic missile defense systems. After decades, many do not yet work as claimed but have almost violent support. Why? This looks like a common response especially … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged B-1, Battleships, Big Red Lie, Bombers, Bush made in USA, Castles, frozen attitude, Knights, Maginot Line, patriotism, potemkin, trompe l'oeil
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ABM: Under The Dome – Today
Today’s ABM strategies are competitive and complicated. Do they work? The latest ABM (anti ballistic missile) interceptor failed another test in June of 2013. This missile has had an erratic record, 8 fails out of 16 tests. Information like this … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged ABM, GBI, Hit to kill, HTK, joules per kilogram, kinetic kill, NCADE, PAC-3, Patriot MIM 104, SM-3, Terminal phase, THAAD, YAL-1
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