Economy Australia scientists claim they have invented nuclear fusion without nuclear material

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"Scientists in Australia are making some astonishing claims about a new nuclear reactor technology. Startup HB11, which spun out of the University of New South Wales, has applied for and received patents in the U.S., Japan, and China so far. The company's technology uses lasers to trigger a nuclear fusion reaction in hydrogen and boron—purportedly with no radioactive fuel required. The secret is a cutting-edge laser and, well, an element of luck."

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The laser doesn’t heat the materials. Instead, it speeds up the hydrogen to the point where it (hopefully) collides with the boron to begin a reaction.

“You could say we're using the hydrogen as a dart, and hoping to hit a boron, and if we hit one, we can start a fusion reaction,” managing director Warren McKenzie told New Atlas. He says HB11's approach is “more precise” than designs that use heat to approach fusion because in those reactors, everything is heated in the hope that something will collide.

When the lucky hydrogen does fuse with a boron particle, the reaction throws off helium atoms whose lack of electrons means they’re positively charged. It’s this charge that the device gathers as electricity."

There is not enough specifics but the idea they don't need or produce nuclear waste is a huge deal. Amazing technology and if this provides a direction that others can improve on these people will become insanely wealthy or proven as making up stories.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.po...nce/amp31080902/fusion-energy-hydrogen-boron/
 
"We are sidestepping all of the scientific challenges that have held fusion energy back for more than half a century," says the director of an Australian company that claims its hydrogen-boron fusion technology is already working a billion times better than expected."
 
thats some genius shit if you ask me.
 
a koala riddled with chlamydia contracted the Coronavirus & voila.
 
First Silverchair now this? Australia is GOAT country.
 
Cheers!


25070604-8033163-image-a-9_1582412432594.jpg
 
Hmm... I wonder how efficient the process here is. From what I know, most nuclear reactors - fission or fusion - intent is to create energy as heat. Electricity produced is done in a very conventional turbine generator. Here, they've bypassed that type of intent and used the energy to strip an electron off of helium. So instead of nuclear reaction -> heat, they have nuclear reaction -> electrical potential. On the surface it'd be a much more energy efficient transfer.

I hope they're able to prove they can do industrial scales with no problem!
 
So far it's just claims and patents for a new company. They don't even have a roadmap for when they believe this technology will actually provide any useful energy. I'm very leery of "science reporting" when it's not in a peer reviewed journal; this sounds much more like they have what they are claiming to be a proof of concept, and now they're looking for investors to expand their brand new company.

Either way it sounds like a cool concept, but again, we'll have to wait and see if it's actually worth anything in the long run.
 
Yeah let's not get too excited, this could be another Theranos in the making.
 
Ok. Just read the white paper. It's a great proof of concept step, but they haven't even got a working reactor yet. It'll be interesting to see where this leads 10 years from now...
 
Loz is decent at reporting on science, but I prefer his motorcycle reviews (NewAtlas used to be GizMag).
I certainly hope the idea is scalable though.
 
Amazing science if true.
 
Fusion - the energy source that's always just a generation away
 
Amazing science if true.

So far the uni is only talking about the patents, a new experimental approach and a goal of realising fusion power by 2050.
Have to take the enthusiasm of the futurist publications with a grain of salt.
 
If this becomes viable it could rewrite so many areas Lockheed claimed they could make a fusion reactor that could fit in a container truck. These scientist are talking about something small enough to make this compact and far more affordable then other approaches. ITER is the 30 billion dollar project that is developing what they believe is the first net positive stable fusion energy system. 30 billion dollars for this project that will not likely see the light of day for another decade if not more. Lockheed sees a future where fusion production could be fitted into a a space ship for long distance travels or even used for traveling in FTL "faster then light" ships in theoretical space ships like Alcubierre Warp Field space ship. The doors this could open is amazing to say the least.

ITER 1



Theoretical warp field space ship
 
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