Germany’s nuclear fusion machine

[Elixir]

Germany’s about to switch on a revolutionary nuclear fusion machine

I don't pay close attention but was still surprised - never even heard of "Stellarator"

For more than 60 years, scientists have dreamed of a clean, inexhaustible energy source in the form of nuclear fusion. And they’re still dreaming.

But thanks to the efforts of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, experts hope that might soon change. Last year, after 1.1 million construction hours, the institute completed the world’s largest nuclear fusion machine of its kind, called a stellarator.

I'd be interested in the opinions of any resident nuclear physicists or anyone with related expertise.
Ya gotta check out the video of this monster's construction (also embedded at the linked page):

 

[fast]

Somebody is like so gonna blow this planet up one day.

 

[Bronzeage]

Somebody is like so gonna blow this planet up one day.

That's not going to happen, but they could melt a big piece of Germany.

 

[bilby]

Somebody is like so gonna blow this planet up one day.

That's not going to happen, but they could melt a big piece of Germany.

If by 'Big' you mean 'About the size of a large building'.

 

[rjh01]

Just watched the video and read the link. Still a long way from producing electricity. It is still theory. Plus it is very expensive.

 

[Bronzeage]

That's not going to happen, but they could melt a big piece of Germany.

If by 'Big' you mean 'About the size of a large building'.

Poetic hyperbole.

As I understand it, they are depending on the magnetic field generated by a poetically hyperbolic number of coils to contain the fusion. They want know if this actually works until the coils are in place and someone pushes the ON button.

It's something like starting the Moon landing project by building Apollo 8 first.

 

[dystopian]

As I understand it, they are depending on the magnetic field generated by a poetically hyperbolic number of coils to contain the fusion. They want know if this actually works until the coils are in place and someone pushes the ON button.

It's something like starting the Moon landing project by building Apollo 8 first.

Not really. Designs like this have been built before and it's already been demonstrated that these type of reactors are much better at maintaining fusion over longer periods of time than the more popular tokamak reactors. They already know this is going to work; but they're hoping it will work even better than previous reactors of the type and maintain fusion for up to 30 minutes.

It's basically like continuing the moon landing project by building apollo 11 after building apollo 10.

 

[Underseer]

Just watched the video and read the link. Still a long way from producing electricity. It is still theory. Plus it is very expensive.

The goal should not be to produce electricity. That goal simply doesn't make sense.

Instead, the goal should be to learn about high energy physics and push the boundaries of engineering.

Fusion of this kind is just dumb. You have to spend an enormous amount of energy to get energy. Currently, you spend more energy than you get out of the process. Sure, there is an enormous amount of potential "fuel" out there, but it is an incredibly inefficient energy source. Further, it's just stupid. We already have the perfect fusion reactor: the Sun. If the goal is energy production, it would be much more efficient to improve existing solar technology. I even like the idea of putting giant solar-collecting satellites in orbit and beaming the energy down planetside with microwaves. Almost any form of solar energy would be better and more efficient than trying to control a fusion reaction.