Piston-Powered Nuclear Fusion

katarn writes "General Fusion is a startup proposing they can create commercially viable fusion using acoustic shock waves, triggered by 220 precisely controlled pneumatic pistons. Their approach is based on a US Naval research concept called 'Linus' and old research done by General Atomics. They feel we now have the high-speed, digital processing capable of pulling off this feat, where decades ago the technology was not available. I think we can hold off on the 'vaporware' claims for a bit; everyone is aware of the horrible track record for turning fusion concepts into reality, but they don't claim to be the first with the idea or that there are not substantial challenges in the way. If nothing else, it is a fascinating concept." Los Alamos National Laboratory has further details on this type of fusion, and longtime LANL researcher Ronald Kirkpatrick did an external assessment (PDF) of General Fusion's plans. Popular Science had a lengthy story about the company a while back. The reason they're back in the headlines now is that they've secured enough funding to begin work on a prototype reactor.

Comments

Gawd

[tetrahedrassface]

So a project code named "linus' makes the tag sharks think we are all idiots and can't read the article? This has a chance of working. It might be an off chance but anytime Los Alamos is involved you had damn well better put some stock in it. On second thought... Linus made linux, and this was code named 'Linus". Therefore we can now call it Fusex.

Soon everyone will be asking hey.. Does that reactor run Fusex?

I think you get the point

In other news...

[binarylarry]

Colonel Fission is pissed and has vowed to crush General Fusion's puny attempts at creating nuclear energy!

Re:In other news...

[Rocketship Underpant]

Auntie Matter will smooth the whole thing over with tea and crumpets.

Code Name: Penuts

[Cidolfas]

The research team's other concept, which created fusion by enticing atoms with footballs only to pull them all away at the last second, was named 'Lucy'.

I've got an idea

[ClosedSource]

You could attach four smart mechanical arms to someone's brain stem (with an inhibitor chip of course). Those extra arms could make the millisecond adjustments to keep the instabilities in check. I have to admit this sounds familiar ...

Re:OK, interesting

[PinkyGigglebrain]

Yeah, if he was still alive. This could really mess with his funding.

Well..

[Comatose51]

Well, it looks like they're finally going to hammer out fusion power.

Fantastic Fiction

[robbiedo]

"General Atomics" Sounds like a company from a 1950's Robert Heinlein novel.

Re:Actively stabilized fusion

[$RANDOMLUSER]

That might explain the spinny engine bits on the Serenity.

Nice try

[beej]

But that's never going to fit on a DeLorean. Why don't these guys ever plan ahead?

Who knew?

[tchdab1]

that the Batmobile had a 220-cylinder engine?

New Idea?

[Linker3000]

Maybe we should just move all companies and their fusion experiments to one, single 'fusion science park', with each building next to each other in a ring. We then use large bulldozers to smash all the buildings towards the centre at the same time and see what happens?

It's an idea? No?

"vaporware"

[Anonymous Coward]

"I think we can hold off on the 'vaporware' claims ..."

Wouldn't this be plasmaware?

Using shock waves to compress things

[davidwr]

A series of financial shock waves squeezed my retirement plan into the size of a helium atom, so I don't see why sound waves can't do the same for a couple of deuterium atoms.

Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

[TheSpoom]

Uh, I think so, Brain, but I don't think the octopus would be very happy with it.