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Fusion record - 59 megajoules (MJ) of fusion energy over 5 seconds

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perdrix:
https://physicsworld.com/a/fusion-energy-record-smashed-by-joint-european-torus-facility/

There's hope yet - though it's probably still 20 years away!

David

Gyro:
A discussion is already underway...

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/renewable-energy/no-need-for-solar-panels-china-is-doing-what-americas-and-europeans-havent/msg3996251/#msg3996251


 EDIT: Well it managed to stick to the JET Fusion update for a couple of pages - it's wondered off into the familiar Fission versus Fossil debate again now, as these things usually do!   :)

SiliconWizard:
While it is a "milestone", we need of course to put it in perspective:

--- Quote ---The 11 MW produced (with 40 MW of input power) is lower than that achieved in 1997, resulting in a ratio of fusion power to heating power of about 0.3. However, the power was sustained over a longer period of five seconds. Indeed, officials say that they now want to focus on producing “sustained” fusion energy rather than optimising a brief peak performance.
--- End quote ---

"Mastering" fusion on Earth is an impressive achievement in itself, but it's nowhere near practical for actually producing energy, since it takes in a lot more power than it puts out.

As to tritium, while it is what's being used currently, I don't think that's where we're really headed. They are looking at using Helium 3 from what I gathered, which is sort of "abundant" on the Moon, and one of the main reasons there is a "sudden" renewed interest in going to the Moon and installing bases on it. I have no clue (not my area) whether fusion with Helium 3 is at all doable with current, or foreseeable technology.

Kleinstein:
It would be very odd if there is abundant helium on the moon and helium-3 is usually only a very small part of it. No way the helium would stay there unless in a steel bottle.

He-3 is generated when tritium decays - so like tritium is one of the very expensive and rare materials. Compared to this gold is really cheap.
Out of deparation one may go to also "burn" some He-3, as some tritium will decay before it can be captured and thus would come out as a kind of waste at a small rate.
Fusion with He3 would need mode power to start and AFAIK has less neutron radiation.

SiliconWizard:
It is not odd. I put "abundant" in quotes on purpose. While there's not much, it's estimated to be about 3 orders of magnitude more than on Earth.

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Space_for_Earth/Energy/Helium-3_mining_on_the_lunar_surface
https://asiatimes.com/2021/11/helium-3-the-secret-mining-war-in-space/

While not everyone agrees on that being practical at all, both China and Russia definitely have lunar programs that include mining He-3, while apparently the US and Europe do not show much interest, but as China an Russia progress, we'll eventually want to beat them to it.

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