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Fusion Reactor Breaks Even

Posted by Unknown on from the wait'll-the-hippies-learn-it's-nuclear dept.

mysqlbytes writes "The BBC is reporting the National Ignition Facility (NIF), based at Livermore in California, has succeeded in breaking even — 'During an experiment in late September, the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel — the first time this had been achieved at any fusion facility in the world.'"

2 of 429 comments (clear)

  1. Link to the NIF Status Update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Seems to have just a little more information than the source material :)

    https://lasers.llnl.gov/newsroom/project_status/index.php

  2. Re:Here's the real story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ah, my friend, you need the full quote:

    In 2009, NIF officials announced an aim to demonstrate nuclear fusion producing net energy by 30 September 2012. But unexpected technical problems ensured the deadline came and went; the fusion output was less than had originally been predicted by mathematical models.

    Soon after, the $3.5bn facility shifted focus, cutting the amount of time spent on fusion versus nuclear weapons research - which was part of the lab's original mission.

    However, the latest experiments agree well with predictions of energy output, which will provide a welcome boost to ignition research at NIF, as well as encouragement to advocates of fusion energy in general.

    Looks like the good of mankind may prevail, after all.