General Discussion

edhopper

(37,543 posts) Sun May 11, 2014, 12:35 PM May 2014

Lockheed's Skunk Works promises working Fusion Reactor by 2017 [View all]

This story escaped my notice, but could be significant.

http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years

Chase didn't give a whole lot more technical detail, but he seemed confident in predicting a 100mW prototype by 2017, with commercial 100mW systems available by 2022, implying that all global energy demands will be able to be met by fusion power by about 2045.

Skunk Works is not known for talking about what they are working on.
We'll have to wait and see, but if this is true, it will be the end of fossil fuel and clean cheap energy for everyone.

80 replies

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Lockheed's Skunk Works promises working Fusion Reactor by 2017 [View all] edhopper May 2014 OP

Love to have one for my house too Sunlei May 2014 #1

I certainly wouldn't bet against Lockheed's Skunk Works Lurks Often May 2014 #2

That's quite a bit of public info on the high beta TroglodyteScholar May 2014 #5

The secrecy at Skunk Works wonderfully shrouds their blunders, too Brother Buzz May 2014 #14

It's the same with any program that exists on the black budget TroglodyteScholar May 2014 #25

I would use the word failures instead of blunders Lurks Often May 2014 #65

Agree Brother Buzz May 2014 #66

Thomas Edison once famously said Aerows May 2014 #67

R&D must always have some failures. Generally, the fewer the failures,... yawnmaster May 2014 #76

100 milliwatt fusion reactor? lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #3

Pretty sure that would be mega watt /nt think May 2014 #10

GMTA Fumesucker May 2014 #47

I was wondering about that.... jberryhill May 2014 #69

It's 100 Mega Watts. Here is a link to C.Chase giving a talk about it... yawnmaster May 2014 #78

I figured that. Using mW when one means MW (or vice versa) is a pet peeve. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #80

Cheap energy for everyone? RobertEarl May 2014 #4

There's a little problem with solar power called nighttime Trekologer May 2014 #7

Right RobertEarl May 2014 #8

You must be an absolute blast at parties. n/t A HERETIC I AM May 2014 #17

We are RobertEarl May 2014 #20

LOL, yes, that should be an easy sell! nt Logical May 2014 #19

Because our bodies aren't solar powered? NuclearDem May 2014 #23

or we can be Eskimos who have 24/7 night part of the year, low light other parts and.... Sunlei May 2014 #54

Pretty much the same way we survived without antibiotics and indoor plumbing Orrex May 2014 #30

Many ways to store it during the day! nt Logical May 2014 #18

True but entirely predictable which .. rickford66 May 2014 #32

exactly. thank you for some sanity in this thread. Duppers May 2014 #62

Doesn't the Sun use fusion? itsrobert May 2014 #12

We tried copying the sun RobertEarl May 2014 #15

We did? Where? oldhippie May 2014 #21

Hello? Anybody home? RobertEarl May 2014 #22

I'm not sure Robert understands the difference between fusion and fission. NuclearDem May 2014 #24

Why don't you tell me? itsrobert May 2014 #26

Other Robert. NuclearDem May 2014 #27

I know, but ..... oldhippie May 2014 #50

Yall are like climate deniers RobertEarl May 2014 #53

Then what was your point? NuclearDem May 2014 #58

So much wrong in one post. jeff47 May 2014 #38

Oh? RobertEarl May 2014 #46

We get no nuclear radiation. We get electromagnetic radiation. jeff47 May 2014 #48

fusion does produce gamma rays Fred Drum May 2014 #55

And gamma rays are EM. jeff47 May 2014 #73

Dude, you don't want to stand to close to a fire either!! be careful out there. eom yawnmaster May 2014 #79

Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are two different things Spider Jerusalem May 2014 #51

Yes. Fusion is simple and natural. MannyGoldstein May 2014 #43

This is not your father's nuclear IDemo May 2014 #31

Right RobertEarl May 2014 #34

so it must be bad? ProdigalJunkMail May 2014 #36

Its all in how it is used: good or bad RobertEarl May 2014 #41

Robert claimed Fukushima would render the Northern hemisphere uninhabitable. jeff47 May 2014 #42

Cheap slander from you, again RobertEarl May 2014 #44

Yes Robert, continue to demonstrate the Republicans don't have jeff47 May 2014 #49

Is RobertEarl really that foolish or is he just trolling? JJChambers May 2014 #57

He's just passionate jberryhill May 2014 #71

What aspect of fusion do you feel equals the hazard potential of fission? IDemo May 2014 #39

wtf? "blow the place sky high" Duppers May 2014 #60

Fun fact - The sun is a giant fusion reactor. cemaphonic May 2014 #68

Fusion has been just around the corner for at least forty years now struggle4progress May 2014 #6

This time it might really be Trekologer May 2014 #11

From your link: struggle4progress May 2014 #59

Sounds nice, and also sounds like bullshit hatrack May 2014 #9

how do we know how long they've been working on it ? Duppers May 2014 #63

Short Lockeed. AngryAmish May 2014 #13

So that reverse technology is paying off now? Ichingcarpenter May 2014 #16

Here's The Video cantbeserious May 2014 #28

I like that they announced it now, Old-Energy needs to be shaken up. tridim May 2014 #29

Actually a couple of places/groups in europe (mostly french and german) had basicly said the same. PFunk May 2014 #33

We already have working fusion reactors. jeff47 May 2014 #35

I'll Be Delighted If They Can Do It BUT Vogon_Glory May 2014 #37

I want one to mount on my Z-Car BootinUp May 2014 #40

Bitch, bitch, bitch Calista241 May 2014 #45

I'll believe it when i see it Takket May 2014 #52

They couldn't stop it if the public BootinUp May 2014 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague May 2014 #61

you got it. Duppers May 2014 #64

Again? Lionel Mandrake May 2014 #70

So what is the purpose edhopper May 2014 #72

Good question. Lionel Mandrake May 2014 #75

The High beta fusion reactor at Lockheed was designed by Dr. Thomas McGuire BootinUp May 2014 #77

M.I.T. has an ongoing fusion research effort as well IDemo May 2014 #74