Germany activating its experimental fusion reactor. Will the fusion power plant becomes true?

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**Lone Cat**

Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

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. The machine, which has a diameter of 52 feet, is called the W7-X.

And after more than a year of tests, engineers are finally ready to fire up the $1.1 billion machine for the first time. It could happen before the end of this month, Science reported.

http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-is-turning-on-its-monster-stellarator-2015-10

So will the Scifi dreams of this cleaner nuclear comes true?

**Grey Templar**

Be really cool if it works.

Nuclear energy is the way to move forward.

**ZergSmasher**

Hope it works. Fusion power plants would perhaps be cleaner even than fission plants (less waste), and more efficient. And nuclear fission plants are perhaps some of the cleanest power plants on Earth, despite how everyone is afraid of anything nuclear these days.

**Lone Cat**

^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.

**Kilkrazy**

I hope fusion gets going because we could all use cheap, non-polluting electricity.

**H.B.M.C.**

Sounds good. More technology. Then we can have fusion bombs and get ready to fight alien species!

Lone Cat wrote:
^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.

And? Is that a reason not to do it?

**AlmightyWalrus**

We already have fusion bombs. The Viggestorp arvskattens of fusion as a power source is the nearly limitless fuel and the fact that you don't have to store the waste for longer than human civilisation has existed.

**eskimo**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Sounds good. More technology. Then we can have fusion bombs and get ready to fight alien species!

Lone Cat wrote:
^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.
And? Is that a reason not to do it?

Yes, because carbon gases aren't hazardous to our health

Anything is better imo. Even if it's only to scare them wealthy giants

**Doctadeth**

Very Very interested in this as a power source. Fusion works on paper, and the practical side should work properly too, based on the experimental reactors we already run.

**Breotan**

The problem with fusion is that it takes more money and energy to cause atoms to fuse than we get back out of the process.

**AlmightyWalrus**

Breotan wrote:
The problem with fusion is that it takes more money and energy to cause atoms to fuse than we get back out of the process.

Experimental reactors have already put out more energy than it took to start the fusion process, so now it's an issue of increasing output and reducing the exorbitant price tag of the reactor.

**Sigvatr**

Lone Cat wrote:
^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.

RadAway.

**Freakazoitt**

Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

In SciFi ficiton, end of the World always starting with words like that.

**LethalShade**

Freakazoitt wrote:
Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

In SciFi ficiton, end of the World always starting with words like that.

Except that controlled fusion is basically harmless.

**AlmightyWalrus**

LethalShade wrote:
Freakazoitt wrote:
Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

In SciFi ficiton, end of the World always starting with words like that.

Except that controlled fusion is basically harmless.

With emphasis on "controlled".

And yes, I know that a runaway fusion reactor would just melt itself, don't spoil the joke!

**jhe90**

AlmightyWalrus wrote:
LethalShade wrote:
Freakazoitt wrote:
Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

In SciFi ficiton, end of the World always starting with words like that.

Except that controlled fusion is basically harmless.

With emphasis on "controlled".

And yes, I know that a runaway fusion reactor would just melt itself, don't spoil the joke!

Clean, powerful and every form of power has risks.
Some bigger than others but none are entirely risk free.

**Mr Morden**

Crossed fingers this works and we get much better ones soon

**Grey Templar**

Lone Cat wrote:
^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.

Fun fact. A coal power plant actually leaks more radiation than a fission power plant does.

And the chances of a power plant melting down and actually releasing harmful amounts of radiation are very low. People freak out and think any power plant can become a Chernobyl but thats not the case. That accident was caused by someone not following safety protocols and it being a shoddy Soviet facility without the safeguards of modern plants.

**jhe90**

Grey Templar wrote:
Lone Cat wrote:
^ Radiation poisoning is still real. and AFAIK no cure is present as we speak.

Fun fact. A coal power plant actually leaks more radiation than a fission power plant does.

And the chances of a power plant melting down and actually releasing harmful amounts of radiation are very low. People freak out and think any power plant can become a Chernobyl but thats not the case. That accident was caused by someone not following safety protocols and it being a shoddy Soviet facility without the safeguards of modern plants.

Reactor design was dangerous to say the least, graphite, delays on ermergancy cooling pumps powered by slow to get going generators that needed a minute or more to gain full power to coolant and counter the trouble.

Fukushima was just not designed to take what hit it.

**godardc**

That's awesome.
I never understood why people are so afraid of nuclear and see it as a remaining of the past where it is our future.

**Co'tor Shas**

godardc wrote:
That's awesome.
I never understood why people are so afraid of nuclear and see it as a remaining of the past where it is our future.

Ever hear of Chernobyl? Or Fukushima Daiichi?

Now, whether that fear is justified or not is a different matter, but it's not hard to see why people are a bit nervous about nuclear power.

I, for one, wish the Germans luck. The cleaner and safer we can get our power the better.

**Sigvatr**

godardc wrote:
That's awesome.
I never understood why people are so afraid of nuclear and see it as a remaining of the past where it is our future.

Coal factories harmed more people than all power plants in the world combined but people don't fear them because they passively harm people over a long period of time whereas nuclear / fusion plants have little to no risk towards yoir health, but if there is an accident, it's huge. Basic human psychology: a big spike is perceived as being overall more harmful than a higher base level.

**eskimo**

Sigvatr wrote:
godardc wrote:
That's awesome.
I never understood why people are so afraid of nuclear and see it as a remaining of the past where it is our future.

Coal factories harmed more people than all power plants in the world combined but people don't fear them because they passively harm people over a long period of time whereas nuclear / fusion plants have little to no risk towards yoir health, but if there is an accident, it's huge. Basic human psychology: a big spike is perceived as being overall more harmful than a higher base level.

Just like combusting cigarettes and fossil fuels

**hotsauceman1**

Grey Templar wrote:
Be really cool if it works.

Nuclear energy is the way to move forward.

But dont you know? Its SCARY and they pollute the air with all the smoke.
Dont lie to me, I know the stuff coming out of the reacters isnt steam, Its SMOKE!!!!

**Kilkrazy**

Actually the radiation release from Fukushima is minute.

The problem with fission is not the radiation potentially released from the reactors. Radiation is all around us all the time. The problem is how to deal with the highly radioactive waste fuel that will take many thousands of years to decay to a safe level.

Fusion does not produce this kind of waste.

**NinthMusketeer**

Kilkrazy wrote:
Actually the radiation release from Fukushima is minute.

The problem with fission is not the radiation potentially released from the reactors. Radiation is all around us all the time. The problem is how to deal with the highly radioactive waste fuel that will take many thousands of years to decay to a safe level.

Fusion does not produce this kind of waste.

This.

Also, any fears of world-exploding meltdowns are unfounded; the energy release from what we know as H-bombs is caused by fusion, and we have had these since 1952.

[edit] To be clear, the above statement is not a response to anyone in particular.

**jhe90**

Solid waste we can bury in geologically solid stable vaults, thick granite, concrete and such.

Not impossible, just difficult and few want that near them however deep we bury it. Though a several mile deep gold mine would work!

Too deep to ever effect anyone.

**NinthMusketeer**

I still say load it in a rocket and shoot it into the sun. Or the moon, if you want to recover the rocket materials later.

**jhe90**

NinthMusketeer wrote:
I still say load it in a rocket and shoot it into the sun. Or the moon, if you want to recover the rocket materials later.

Moon. Oh that's not a bad idea. No one to bother and we never worry about it again. Perfect!

**Sigvatr**

Or any random black hole. Wooosh, it's gone!