Do the results from NIF mean the end to the Sandia Z program? The Sandia Z people hoped to build a new machine eventually. They face some big hurdles such as funding, problems with scaling from 26 to 60 mega amperes, and lack of robust target for achieving ignition. With NIF having basically achieved ignition, do we need to build or even maintain large pulsed power facilities. Also, I bet that Sandia corporate has more interest in other endeavors.
16 comments:
Maybe not the end yet but if NIF gets to 100% soon which it has good chance than that could be it for the next Z machine.
Even the Z machine people admit that they do not have the technology to get up to 60 mega amperes. One of the major problems is power flow losses which are not well understood. I think NIF killed any chance of a “Z-next”. Too much risk and really no need after MJ yields on NIF.
I love to see intelligent, civil exchanges like this. 😀
Even if NIF did not get the MJ yield there was never any guarantee that Z would get an upgrade or a new machine. Another question is does the NIF results change anything with ITER, Tokamaks or fusion in general? It could actually be a big boost for these other systems as NIF has shown that fusion is actually feasible, at least on some level. Perhaps Sandia could say that since NIF works than Z potentially could also work. Maybe DOE will start to invest more heavily in fusion science?
Even If NIF is able to consistently achieve full ignition, it’s not clear that NIF is the path forward towards building a practical, energy producing fusion reactor, and that’s where a lot of interest lies. The NIF LIFE program for showed that even if one does have a machine which can achieve ignition, there are a lot of technical problems with turning it into a practical power-generating facility. For one, a full ignition shot would only generate something in the neighborhood of about a dollar’s worth of electricity, so the machine would have to injecting and igniting hohlraum+capsule assemblies at a rate of dozens of shots per second. Also, those hohlraum+capsule assemblies would have to be mass produced AND the cost per hohlraum+capsule assembly including filling the capsule would all have to cost less than a dollar each in order for the whole effort to make economic sense.
Both should be cancelled for the taxpayer-funded playgrounds that they are. Just because we can build a bigger laser, or a bigger capacitor, doesn’t mean we should.
Despite what many believe, or claim to believe, NIF was never designed or intended to be a serious demonstration of a practical nuclear fusion power source. It was designed and intended for nuclear weapon secondary physics. Bill Richardson was and is a congenital liar. He was my Congressman in NM's third district. Never, ever told the truth to anyone, just what he thought they wanted to hear, often three totally different stories on the same day in Los Alamos and Espanola and Santa Fe.
Bill Richardson was certainly one of the most dishonest people I’ve ever had the displeasure to be associated with. Apparently it finally caught up with him. His NIF lies were small potatoes compared to the rest. I suspect we’ll hear more once Gislaine Maxwell comes clean. He is even too dirty for the Clintons and that is a pretty low bar.
The hohlraum/capsule assembly will never be cheap enough for commercial reactor, but direct drive (capsule only) might be.
Also much easier to fire a direct drive capsule 5 times per second than a hohlraum, with the precision needed.
Bill Richardson was certainly one of the most dishonest people I’ve ever had the displeasure to be associated with. Apparently it finally caught up with him. His NIF lies were small potatoes compared to the rest. I suspect we’ll hear more once Gislaine Maxwell comes clean. He is even too dirty for the Clintons and that is a pretty low bar.
9/06/2021 10:58 AM
This is fake news, Jeffrey Epstein has never set foot in New Mexico, he never had anything to do with New Mexico, I doubt that Epstein or Maxwell even flew over New Mexico. If I was 10:48pm I would reconsider my statements the idea that Bill Richardson a New Mexican Governor would have anything to do with some billionaire from New York who was NEVER IN NEW MEXICO, is crazy.
If someone, anyone can show any proof whatsoever that Jeff Epstein or Gislaine Maxwell have ever set foot in New Mexico while Bill Richardson was Governor, I will eat my hat, will say that NIF was worth it, I will say that LANL is full of cowboys, I will say that Scooby is the best human being that ever existed, and he has a greatest blog, I will say Walpe and Doron are honorable people. Hell I will even call Walpe, "who one of dumbest people who ever existed," Dr Walpe PHD Walden U. I will even debase myself that low, Hell I will even got lower than may family heritage I will even say that Charles Montano is not "alimenta en el fondo" Ok that is only me that will go along with this as the rest of my family will never go along with the last part but you get my drift.
I await nothing because I have the truth on my side. Poster 10:58AM is full of it totally full of it. I laugh at the idea of Jeff and Bill ever having a meeting. ;). This has nothing to do with LANL or WHL or how Bill Richardson sold out LANL or the US. Nothing but maybe Bill thought he could be the president of the US if he played his cards right or sold out national interests, I have no idea who could have given him that idea?
Ok, someone anyone prove me wrong. Provide even the slightest evidence that Jeff or Maxime ever set foot in New Mexico, or say owned a ranch in New Mexico. Hell if you can swing it I will even pay in BITCOIN or Etherium.
The determining factor will be whether Z can contribute to weapons physics. I don't know, since it's not my area. But I suppose there is still a niche that Z could fill, sort of like Omega or other research facilities. Oh, and stop talking about commercial power generation. That was never the intent of Z or NIF, despite what you have been told.
I agree with the previous poster who said that NIF was never intended to be a reactor. All that talk died with LIFE.
Yes, Bill Richardson is not a nice guy. Was talking to a cigar shop owner in Albuquerque. Said that years ago Richardson came in and picked out a bunch of cigars. Then he tried leaving without paying, assuming everything was on the house for him. They corrected him on that and charged him.
OK, let’s get this straight. Epstein had a ranch in New Mexico, He was there. He used to entertain the likes of people from the Santa Fe Institute including Nobel prize winner Murray Gell-Mann. I believe all that is documented.
Well, the people on the LIFE program sure made a big deal about commercial power generation with inertial confinement fusion. They even had an artist draw up a beautiful looking picture of a hypothetical ICF power plant surrounded by ponds, green grass, and trees. Let’s be real: If multi-MegaJoule shots can be reproduced at NIF, then lots of people are going to be scrambling to figure out how to develop an ICF commercial power plant. No doubt about it.
"Epstein had a ranch in New Mexico"
Really? I doubt that, what is the next crazy thing you are going to say, something along the lines that Bill Clinton and Bill Gates where friends of Epstein, please you are too funny.
Go to Google and type in Epstein and New Mexico. For me one source that came up was the Wall Street Journal. Yes, there was an Epstein ranch in NM. This is another example, among many, where it is easy to determine the true situation. So why go on these stupid rants?
9/07/2021 7:11 PM
The idea that Jeff Epstein was in Nee Mexico, ever had interactions with Bill Richardson, ever had meetings with Bill Clinton or Bill Gates, professors at MIT is crazy consipracy talk. Why do people believe such crazy conspiracies.
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