Inside the Fusion Reactor DIII D tokamak

This video takes you inside the DIII D tokamak at General Atomics Lab in San Diego, California.
NOTE: USE CLOSED CAPTIONING "CC" FOR INFO ON WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IN THE VIDEO.
Normally the plasma inside this vessel is at a temperature greater then the core of the Sun. This video focuses on introducing some of the technology involved in fusion energy research.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Fusion
• Energy
• Nuclear
• Tokamak
• DIIID
• Magnet
• Climate
• Change
• Global
• Warming

[meronmotors]

Why did man create a fission reactor in 4 years of research, yet after 70 years we cant produce the fusion reactors. What is teh biggest obstacle?

[joshuaki3]

@meronmotors - This area of physics was mature enough about 30 years ago to make the first fusion reactor. For the past 30 years the only reason we haven't achieved net gain has been failure of our politicians to dedicate appropriate funds to build the large size reactor needed. Hope this answers your question.

[meronmotors]

@joshuaki3 I find that hard to believe since 30 years ago the cold war was still very much in effect. If either side felt it was a fee-sable idea they would have found a way to fund it or am I wrong? Is there plasma on the sun?

[joshuaki3]

@meronmotors - The actual history is even harder to believe. Not only was the cold war still on but around 30 years ago was the 1979 energy crisis just after the Arab Oil Embargo. These two events forced the Carter administration to look for alternatives. The $20 billion Magnetic Fusion Energy Engineering Act of 1980 was passed with bipartisan support in order to build a prototype fusion power plant by the year 2000. 

[joshuaki3]

@meronmotors - The irony is that promptly after Ronald Regan took the helm he nixed the whole project in order to redirect funds to the Star Wars Missle Defense system in support of Cold war ambitions. The official position of the administration was that the federal government is not to be used to invent new energy sources.

[joshuaki3]

@meronmotors - yes plasma is what the sun is made of. So far we have been able to create plasmas in the lab that are hotter than the core of the sun.

[a6km]

go to hell with WMG ....

[bumqui]

WMG can suck one

[mujaku]

The Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor is a hoax. A self-sustaining fusion device based on magnetic field confinement of hot plasma is impossible, according to the Russian scientists who nevertheless promoted this technology to the Western world as a cold-war joke.

[clairebehun]

you have some great stuff here

[shoppittsburghnow]

interesting video and very informative

[distractionxx]

some great inforamtion here thanks

[chrispikeyp]

interesting video and very informative

[meronmotors]

@joshuaki3 very intresting and you seem to be very well informed thank you for that, anything else you know about that would be greatly apreciated in a private message. thanks so much