any news on fusion reactor research???

[the guy]

does anyone know how research is getting on with fusion reactors? how much progress they're making?

Edited October 5, 2010 by the guy

[Mr Skeptic]

What was news to me recently, is that you produce about as much body heat as an equal mass of solar material does by fusion. Which means the problem is much harder than I was led to believe, seeing as we'd have to do about 1000 times better than the sun or even more, to be useful.

[the guy]

really? oh dear, that doesn't bode well

[insane_alien]

thats because the sun runs on protium-protium fusion. our reactors are running on deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium fusion.

 

this fusion occurs at a much lower temperature and occurs faster as there's less steps.

 

i wouldn't worry about the fact that the sun appears to be really bad at fusion.