One step closer to using nuclear fusion as a new source of carbon free energy....

[Disaffected]

63. Oh, now you've got me going... :)

The results of the National Ignition facility laser fusion device have been widely miss-reported by both the media and, the facility itself (although in the NIF's case, more a significant lack of clarity).

The NIF correctly reported that the fusion energy generated by the plasma exceed the energy input to the plasma (by a factor or 3 or 4 IIRC). However, and this is a v big however, the energy input to the plasma (by the device's high power, pulsed lasers) was far smaller than the energy required to energize (or "pump" ) the lasers. and by a factor of, IIRC, several hundred.

The upshot is that the energy required to power the device was far larger than the energy generated and it was therefore no-where near to reaching the elusive goal of even energy breakeven let alone generating useful net energy.

The device has other daunting issues with it's potential to generate net energy. For one, the lasers generate a lot of heat (which is what most of the energy input to the device winds up as), take a long time to cool off and therefore can only be fired about once per day. There is nothing on the horizon AFAIK that will solve that particular issue. Another is the horrific cost of the device (many $ billion).

I don't believe the NIF was ever intended to be a viable source of fusion energy but was and is much more an R&D device originally intended for thermo-nuclear (hydrogen) bomb development.