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From: pmk@prometheus.UUCP (Paul M Koloc)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: My "FUSION this decade?" this article
Message-ID: <154@prometheus.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 03:20:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: promethe.154
Posted: Tue Jul 30 03:20:12 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 23:35:20 EDT
References: <291@greipa.UUCP> <694@charm.UUCP>
Organization: Prometheus II Ltd., College Park, MD
Lines: 64

> A note on "breaking even":
> When I last looked, this meant that the plasma heated itself as
> much as it was heated.  It ignores the inefficiencies of plasma
> heating (I know, space heaters are 100% efficient, but they don't
> heat plasmas) and the ineff. of converting heat to electrical power.
>                   George R. Lake 

There are two "break evens"  scientific and commercial.  Since, all 
of the DOE funded projects will never work "commercially"
primarily for engineering reasons, they only talk about "scientific
breakeven".   The reason for this is that DOE only funds concepts
for which there is a "plasma physics basis".  It turns out that 
plasma physics is being discovered largely due to the work in fusion.  
The DOE can only fund projects that have been invented and tested else-
where, unless they are so damn complicated,  i. e. "Elmo bumpy torus", 
that the theorist have enough loop holes to think it might work.  The 
two biggest and oldest devices are the tokamak and mirror (both from 
mother Russia) and neither has the slightest hope of being 
commercialized.  And burn radiactive Tritium-Deuterium which then
generates copious amounts of neutrons???   Dumb!

The "National Fusion Program" is a joke, it can't stop funding 
obsolete concepts.  Why?: because it doesn't apply engineering criteria
to determine if it can be commercialized after a reasonable period
of physics investigation (5-10 years).  Think of it simply "does it
cost to much to build and maintain."   On the other hand it can't 
start new projects, either.  

> No one has ever collected energy from these fusion devices! 
> By way of prediction:  Fusion energy will not supply power to 
>    the grid in this century

If DOD gets interested "they need high power density not so much 
energy" then your predictions will not hold.  Even the Sphermoak
could produce very useful pulsed power for defense applications and
the PLASMAKtm technology appears to be able to generate fusion with
the proficiency and application found in science fiction movies.

For engineering reasons, PLASMAKtm commercial fusion "breakeven" 
could be demonstrated within three years.  Success would be guaranteed 
within one year if the special magnetoplasmoid can be formed.
Continuouly forming and burning the fusion core of these plasmoids 
at sixty hertz, would generate 1 mega kilowatt electric, and the 
volume of each compressed plasmoid would be only 100 cubic centimeters.  
A good fuel would be Hydrogen Boron-isotope eleven.   It would not 
have the difficult plant size problems or down times extrapolated 
for the DOE devices.

And, as a final note, Bell Telephone Labs, Murray Hill NJ,  Akira Hasegawa
has invented a super compressed PLASMAKtm generated with a laser or 
particle beam.  This work may be funded here only because the inertial 
confinment division is under the gun and can't justify its existance with the
crappy prospects of approaches such a "NOVA".  This work will more likely
be carried out by the Japanese at Osaka.  M. Mimura is also involved in
more conventional PLASMAKtm research. 

          PLASMAKtm is a trademark of Prometheus II, Ltd.

       -   -   NOTE: MAIL PATH MAY DIFFER FROM HEADER  -   -
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------+
| Paul M. Koloc, President: (301) 445-1075              | FUSION |
| Prometheus II Ltd., College Park, MD 20740-0222       |  this  |
| pmk@prometheus.UUCP; ..seismo!prometheus!pmk.UUCP     | decade |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------+