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How to build a hydrogen-boron fusion reactor

In this article, Jonathan Tennenbaum constructs – conceptually – a hydrogen-boron fusion reactor similar to one proposed by Australian plasma physicist Heinrich Hora.

Hora’s approach is one of many – in various stages of development – proposed for achieving nuclear fusion power. I don’t intend to endorse one idea over another but writing about Hora’s extremely promising concept is an excellent way to acquaint readers with some of today’s most exciting areas of science and technology.

Ideally, readers should be familiar with the preceding articles in this series and the following pieces of the puzzle:

Beyond Comprehension –“Neutron Star’s Superfluid, Superconducting Core at Supranuclear Densities”

Neutron stars are an end state of stellar evolution, says astrophysicist Paul Lasky, at Australia’s Monash University and OzGrav. “They consist of the densest observable matter in the universe, under conditions that are impossible to produce in the laboratory, and theoretical modeling of the matter requires extrapolation by many orders of magnitude beyond the point where nuclear physics is well understood.”

“Gravitational-wave astronomy is reshaping our understanding of the universe,” said Lasky, about a new study co-authored by the ARC Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) that makes a compelling case for the development of “NEMO” —a new observatory in Australia that could deliver on some of the most exciting gravitational-wave science next-generation detectors have to offer, but at a fraction of the cost.

The study today presents the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimized to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars, using high circulating laser power, quantum squeezing and a detector topology specially designed to achieve the high frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves.

Molten-Salt Fusion Reactors and Molten-Salt Fission Reactors — Dr. Charles Forsberg @ ORNL MSRW 2019

Dr. Charles Forsberg observes technological overlap between Molten-Salt Reactor (fission) development and Fusion Reactors due to manufacturing breakthrough of Rare-Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) Superconducting Magnets onto steel tape.

REBCO superconducting tape enables doubling magnetic fields.

Size of magnetic fusion system for any given power output varies as one over the fourth power of the magnetic field. Higher magnetic fields can shrink fusion system size by an order of magnitude, power density in the fusion blanket increases by an order of magnitude.

Higher power densities in the blanket make it difficult to cool solid blankets. High magnetic fields create large incentives to have a coolant with low electrical conductivity to avoid coolant/magnetic field interactions.

REBCO Fusion Favors a Molten-Salt (particularly FLiBe Salt) Blanket.

Why Flibe (Li2BeF4) Salt?

Scientists Want to Build Nuclear Reactors to Power Moon Colony

Staging Area

The engineers say four reactors could give enough energy for a six-person crew to live on Mars, and they’re hoping to use the Moon as a testing ground.

“On the moon, you’re close to home,” NASA engineer Michelle Rucker told C&EN, “so if something fails, it’s a fairly close trip to get back home, whereas on Mars, your system better be working.”

Severe thunderstorm warning issued for parts of St. Lucie and Martin counties

The National Weather Service in Melbourne has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southeastern St. Lucie County and northeastern Martin County until 10 p.m.

At 9:18 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles north of Indiantown, moving northeast at 15 mph.

Locations impacted include Port Saint Lucie, Walton, Stuart, Palm City and Saint Lucie Nuclear Power Plant.

These Tiny Neutron Generators Could Pave the Way for Fusion

The Madison, Wisconsin-based startup Phoenix has scouted a team of nuclear elites for a new frontier: small reactors that can revolutionize medical imaging, munitions scanning, and even non-destructive testing for quality assurance.

And in the longer term, scientists say training people to run neutron generators helps to familiarize and speed up the future of nuclear fusion.