Recent progress on Bussard fusion

[pokerfan]

http://pesn.com/2007/05/09/9500470_Electric_Fusion/

Background:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_Electrostatic_Confinement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Bussard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell

Comments?

[unpossibles]

1. neat!

responding so I can remember to go back and read more.

thanks for the link.

[pokerfan]

2. Yeah, for forty years I've been told

fusion is just ten years out.

After the brief excitement over cold fusion twenty years ago, I now think it just might actually be feasible.

[papau]

3. His time frame for scaling up is 20 to 30 years - if no major problems. n/t

n/t

[unpossibles]

4. "the DOD doesn't do fusion"

they only do oil, I guess.

This is sad that it's not getting the funding it deserves because it's not a weapon.

[alkaline9]

5. this is what I got out of the article....

Fusion power on a large scale is only years away........ with proper funding.

IEC/Electric fusion devices are smaller, significantly more economical, non radioactive, has had working prototypes producing 10 kv of energy, much more likely to be a viable option, and could come to reality in about 5 - 6 years from appropriation of 200 million dollars. That is less than the cost of one day of economic support for the Middle East oil wars without a single loss of life; and is a mere 1/90th of what has been spent on D-T fusion.

I could donate to help this project out, but I'm guessing a big corporation like google or microsoft will fully fund this research soon anyway. Its a shame that one of the huge profit oil companies can't scrape together a few hundred million bucks to see this thing through and lead the future.