ITER fusion reactor to see further delays, with operations pushed to 2034
The ITER fusion reactor faces delays, postponing operations to 2034. Initial plasma in 2036 and full fusion in 2039, 4 years later than planned. Changing priorities, COVID disruptions, and safety concerns contribute. Priorities shift to high-energy experiments. Magnets on track, but material change poses challenges. Completion now set for 2039, raising concerns about support and competition.
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The ITER fusion reactor is facing further delays, pushing back its operations to 2034. The initial plasma won't be seen until 2036, with full-energy deuterium-tritium fusion postponed to 2039, representing a four-year delay from the previous roadmap. Delays are attributed to changing priorities, COVID-related disruptions in component production, and concerns from France's nuclear safety regulator. The project's schedule re-evaluation led to a shift in priorities, focusing on high-energy experiments rather than low-energy ones. Despite the setbacks, the system's magnets are expected to reach power levels close to the original plan. However, the switch from beryllium to tungsten for the inner wall construction may introduce new technical and manufacturing challenges. The extended timeline raises concerns about potential further delays and the risk of losing support from participating nations or being surpassed by commercial fusion startups. ITER's completion is now projected for 2039, with uncertainties surrounding the project's future amidst ongoing challenges.
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3 commentshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muon-catalyzed_fusion
There is one company trying it:
Muon production efficiency optimization is a worthwhile engineering problem. The accelerator needed to make the muons can already be made more efficient than assumed in the classic papers.
Muon-catalyzed fusion does not require the unlikely combination of 100M degree plasma generating huge power right next to cryogenic superconducting magnets.
Muon-catalyzed fusion can already run continuously, unlike plasma fusion. There is none of this "it can run for x seconds" nonsense.
The efficiency needs to be greater than 1, but all parts of the power plant are included in this calculation. So, for example, making a more efficient steam turbine helps. So consider..
A tritium breeding blanket is needed for all kinds of D-T fusion including plasma to locally make the tritium fuel from the fusion neutrons. If you include U-238 in it, you double the power output thanks to all of the resulting fissions.. just as in an H-bomb. This could push the plant efficiency above 1..
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