UK's nuclear fusion site ends experiments after 40 years (www.bbc.co.uk)
from alphacyberranger@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 2023 12:24
https://lemmy.world/post/6830860

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autotldr@lemmings.world on 15 Oct 2023 12:25 next collapse

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Barry Green recounts the moment in June 1983 when the JET fusion laboratory in Oxford undertook its first experiment.

The chosen model was tokamak, which uses magnetic fields to confine the plasma - a hot, ionised gas - inside a vessel.

And the hope of producing enough energy to power homes remains a long way off - 59 MJ is only enough to boil about 60 kettles’ worth of water.

Joelle Mailloux is the JET science programme leader overseeing the third round of deuterium-tritium experiments which end on Saturday.

She says the key challenges they are focusing on are making the plasma more stable, spreading the power load and looking at improving materials in the reactor to withstand the conditions.

Paul Methven, STEP programme director at the UK Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC: "On endeavours like this, you need to be simultaneously really ambitious and also realistic.

The original article contains 664 words, the summary contains 148 words. Saved 78%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

Koof_on_the_Roof@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 2023 13:10 next collapse

If UK is going to go it’s own way, I don’t see why they don’t just keep the reactor going. Not that going it’s own way seems very sensible anyway.

CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 2023 13:28 collapse

I mean we’re increasing restrictions on solar and some fairly high profile politicans are talking about the lost benefits of oil and coal so… I’m pretty sure going our own way involves some kind of reversion to steam power medicine based on the four humours.

ThePyroPython@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 2023 13:47 collapse

Nah, the Tories plan on burning poor people this winter, they’ll lure them in by promising they’ll be warm for the rest of their lives.

SinningStromgald@lemmy.world on 15 Oct 2023 22:22 collapse

But what about the vapors?

Zaphod@discuss.tchncs.de on 15 Oct 2023 17:37 collapse

What a bummer! In 10 more years they would’ve achieved fusion

PeWu@lemmy.ml on 15 Oct 2023 21:57 next collapse

Reminded me of that miner analogy

HurlingDurling@lemm.ee on 17 Oct 2023 16:22 collapse

They only needed to try one more time TBH

This was a joke if anyone didn’t catch that.