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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: Jacob on October 15, 2014, 12:47:33 PM

Title: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Jacob on October 15, 2014, 12:47:33 PM
Your Timmysquee of the day: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/lockheed-martins-new-fusion-reactor-design-can-change-h-1646578094
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: viper37 on October 15, 2014, 03:23:24 PM
Quote from: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.
no, not really.
It's small, about the size of a jet engine, and it delivers a lot of power, enough for an 80 000 homes city or an airplane, or a spaceship.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Ideologue on October 15, 2014, 03:28:26 PM
Quote from: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.

It's the size of a dream, and the shape of the future!
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Ender on October 15, 2014, 03:35:57 PM
The is awesome!
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: garbon on October 15, 2014, 03:41:44 PM
Quote from: viper37 on October 15, 2014, 03:23:24 PM
Quote from: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.
no, not really.
It's small, about the size of a jet engine, and it delivers a lot of power, enough for an 80 000 homes city or an airplane, or a spaceship.

Yeah but that's not what they wrote. :P
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: ulmont on October 15, 2014, 03:47:45 PM
Quote from: Jacob on October 15, 2014, 12:47:33 PM
Your Timmysquee of the day: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/lockheed-martins-new-fusion-reactor-design-can-change-h-1646578094

Last year they said it would only take 4 years, so they're at least 2 years behind schedule now:  http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Valmy on October 15, 2014, 04:15:44 PM
If they do it in 50 years I will be impressed.  Of course since I will be 87, probably just having control over your bladder will impress me by that point.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Josquius on October 15, 2014, 04:35:16 PM
There's no money to be made in cheap and easy power.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Valmy on October 15, 2014, 04:38:17 PM
Quote from: Tyr on October 15, 2014, 04:35:16 PM
There's no money to be made in cheap and easy power.

Only if you are an industry that uses power.  Which is almost all of them.  But besides enormous money to be made in almost every single industry...
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Malthus on October 15, 2014, 04:38:42 PM
Quote from: ulmont on October 15, 2014, 03:47:45 PM
Quote from: Jacob on October 15, 2014, 12:47:33 PM
Your Timmysquee of the day: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/lockheed-martins-new-fusion-reactor-design-can-change-h-1646578094

Last year they said it would only take 4 years, so they're at least 2 years behind schedule now:  http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years

Fusion tech: the tech that has gone from being perpetually 20 years in the future to perpetually 5 years in the future. Progress!  ;)
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Valmy on October 15, 2014, 04:42:44 PM
Quote from: Malthus on October 15, 2014, 04:38:42 PM
Fusion tech: the tech that has gone from being perpetually 20 years in the future to perpetually 5 years in the future. Progress!  ;)

Eventually it will always next week, like my Senior Project.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: grumbler on October 16, 2014, 06:26:14 AM
Quote from: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.

Yep.  Missing the "might" between "engine" and "power."
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Siege on October 16, 2014, 06:38:08 AM
Quote from: Valmy on October 15, 2014, 04:15:44 PM
If they do it in 50 years I will be impressed.  Of course since I will be 87, probably just having control over your bladder will impress me by that point.

If you survive the next 50 years, you will be immortal according to Ray Kurzweil.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/07/how-close-are-humans-to-immortality/

Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: jimmy olsen on October 16, 2014, 07:25:10 AM
This update should have gone in the Fusion Power Megathread! :angry:

This project is what I made the opening post about!

http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,9398.0.html
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: DontSayBanana on October 16, 2014, 09:26:17 AM
Quote from: garbon on October 15, 2014, 01:15:43 PM
This sentence seems odd:

QuoteIt is the size of a jet engine, power airplanes, spaceships, and cities—and they say it will be operative in only 10 years.

It's based on some rosy estimations.

First, they don't actually have the working prototype- they're talking about designing, building a prototype and testing it 5 times, which they're hoping to be able to cram into a year for each phase.  From there, they're estimating another 5 years to mature the technology and miniaturize it.

If they're successful, I think the bigger deal would be the proposed ability to put a powerplant for a modern city on a truck.  Having that kind of portable power generation would be a huge deal for modernizing undeveloped environments like those in Africa, the Middle East, and the Australian outback.
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: Malthus on October 16, 2014, 01:24:43 PM
Anyway, is there really a *need* for a fusion-powered skunk?  :hmm:
Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: KRonn on October 16, 2014, 01:29:21 PM
Great news indeed! I'll be looking to install a small fusion reactor in my house to power everything.   ;)

Title: Re: Skunkworks says: Fusion Prototype in 5 Years
Post by: grumbler on October 16, 2014, 01:32:44 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on October 16, 2014, 07:25:10 AM
This update should have gone in the Fusion Power Megathread! :angry:

Megathreads are for megamorons.