Lockheed Martin Announces Breakthrough in Fusion
Corporation Lockheed Martin said on October 15 that they had made a technological breakthrough in the development of nuclear fusion power sources. And the first, sufficiently small reactor that can fit in the back of a truck, may be ready for use over the next decade.
Tom McGuire, who heads the project, said he and a small group worked for about four years to produce fusion energy in the secret Skunk Works lab owned by Lockheed Martin, but now their work is open to finding potential partners in industry and government.
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“The initial work demonstrated the possibility of building a 100-megawatt reactor about two by three meters in size, which can fit in a large truck, which is about 10 times smaller than any of the current reactors,” McGuire told reporters.
In a statement the company, which is the largest supplier of the Pentagon, said that they will create and test a compact fusion reactor in less than a year, and then build a prototype within five years.
In recent years, Lockheed has taken a more active part in various alternative energy projects, including several projects for obtaining energy from the ocean, and this looks like an attempt to compensate for the decline in military spending in the United States and Europe.
“Lockheed's work in the field of thermonuclear energy can help in the development of new energy sources amid growing global energy conflicts. And according to forecasts, an increase of 40-50 percent in energy use is expected for the next generation of people, ”said McGuire.
If this turns out to be feasible, then the work of Lockheed could be a key breakthrough in an area that scientists have long considered as promising, but where the emergence of workable energy systems is not expected. Although now there is a lot of effort in striving to use the energy released during nuclear fusion, when atoms combine into more stable forms.
“We can seriously improve the situation on the energy front,” said McGuire, also noting that Lockheed has been doing research in nuclear fusion for 60 years as a potential energy source that is safer and more efficient than current fission-based reactors .
Lockheed sees the project as part of an integrated approach to solving global energy problems and climate change issues.
Compact nuclear fusion will produce much less waste than coal-fired power plants, since deuterium-tritium fuel will be used, which can generate almost 10 million times more energy than the same amount of fossil fuel, the company said.
The heavy isotope of hydrogen, deuterium, is found in the oceans of the Earth, and tritium is produced from natural lithium deposits.
This suggests that future reactors will be able to use other fuels and it will be possible to completely eliminate the appearance of radioactive waste.
McGuire stated that the company had made several applications for patents related to their advanced development, and was seeking partners in academia, industry, and government laboratories to promote work.
“Lockheed says that they have the opportunity to complete the project, build and test a reactor in just one year, and then it will be possible to create an industrial reactor within 10 years,” said McGuire. A small reactor can fuel a US Navy warship, and eliminate the need for other sources of fuel that create logistical problems.
American submarines and aircraft carriers are working on nuclear energy, but they have fairly large fission reactors on board that need to be replaced after some time on a regular basis.
“That's what makes our project really interesting and feasible — it's a set time frame for a potential solution to the problem,” said McGuire.
PS For those interested in links to the press release of Lockheed and reports of English editions:
www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/october/141015ae_lockheed-martin-pursuing-compact-nuclear-fusion.html
www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/us-lockheed-fusion-idUSKCN0I41EM20141015
sploid.gizmodo.com/lockheed-martins-new-fusion-reactor-design-can-change-h-1646578094
Tom McGuire, who heads the project, said he and a small group worked for about four years to produce fusion energy in the secret Skunk Works lab owned by Lockheed Martin, but now their work is open to finding potential partners in industry and government.
')
“The initial work demonstrated the possibility of building a 100-megawatt reactor about two by three meters in size, which can fit in a large truck, which is about 10 times smaller than any of the current reactors,” McGuire told reporters.
In a statement the company, which is the largest supplier of the Pentagon, said that they will create and test a compact fusion reactor in less than a year, and then build a prototype within five years.
In recent years, Lockheed has taken a more active part in various alternative energy projects, including several projects for obtaining energy from the ocean, and this looks like an attempt to compensate for the decline in military spending in the United States and Europe.
“Lockheed's work in the field of thermonuclear energy can help in the development of new energy sources amid growing global energy conflicts. And according to forecasts, an increase of 40-50 percent in energy use is expected for the next generation of people, ”said McGuire.
If this turns out to be feasible, then the work of Lockheed could be a key breakthrough in an area that scientists have long considered as promising, but where the emergence of workable energy systems is not expected. Although now there is a lot of effort in striving to use the energy released during nuclear fusion, when atoms combine into more stable forms.
“We can seriously improve the situation on the energy front,” said McGuire, also noting that Lockheed has been doing research in nuclear fusion for 60 years as a potential energy source that is safer and more efficient than current fission-based reactors .
Lockheed sees the project as part of an integrated approach to solving global energy problems and climate change issues.
Compact nuclear fusion will produce much less waste than coal-fired power plants, since deuterium-tritium fuel will be used, which can generate almost 10 million times more energy than the same amount of fossil fuel, the company said.
The heavy isotope of hydrogen, deuterium, is found in the oceans of the Earth, and tritium is produced from natural lithium deposits.
This suggests that future reactors will be able to use other fuels and it will be possible to completely eliminate the appearance of radioactive waste.
McGuire stated that the company had made several applications for patents related to their advanced development, and was seeking partners in academia, industry, and government laboratories to promote work.
“Lockheed says that they have the opportunity to complete the project, build and test a reactor in just one year, and then it will be possible to create an industrial reactor within 10 years,” said McGuire. A small reactor can fuel a US Navy warship, and eliminate the need for other sources of fuel that create logistical problems.
American submarines and aircraft carriers are working on nuclear energy, but they have fairly large fission reactors on board that need to be replaced after some time on a regular basis.
“That's what makes our project really interesting and feasible — it's a set time frame for a potential solution to the problem,” said McGuire.
PS For those interested in links to the press release of Lockheed and reports of English editions:
www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/october/141015ae_lockheed-martin-pursuing-compact-nuclear-fusion.html
www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/us-lockheed-fusion-idUSKCN0I41EM20141015
sploid.gizmodo.com/lockheed-martins-new-fusion-reactor-design-can-change-h-1646578094
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/361929/
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