International Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor

[arkady]

Copy/pasted from This article. (BBC)<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>France will get to host the project to build a 10bn-euro (£6.6bn) nuclear fusion reactor, in the face of strong competition from Japan. </b><br /><br /><br />The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) will be the most expensive joint scientific project after the International Space Station. <br /><br />The Iter programme was held up for over 18 months as parties tried to broker a deal between the two rivals. <br /><br />Nuclear fusion taps energy from reactions like those that heat the Sun. <br /><br />Nuclear fusion is seen as a cleaner approach to power production than nuclear fission and fossil fuels. <br /><br /> Rapid construction of Iter will be a major step in the development of fusion as a potential large-scale source of electricity that will not contribute to climate change <br /><br />Officials from a six-party consortium signed the deal in Moscow on Tuesday, for the reactor's location at the Cadarache site in southern France. <br /><br />French President Jacques Chirac thanked member countries of the European Union, as well as Russia and China, who crucially lent their support to the French bid: "It is a big success for France, for Europe and for all the partners of Iter," he said in a statement. <br /><br />The European Union, the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea and China are partners in the project. <br /><br />Japan earlier withdrew its bid, after a deal was worked out for the "runner-up" to receive a generous concessions package. <br /><br /><br /><b>Rich reward </b><br /><br />According to the package, Japan will get 20% of the project's 200 research posts while providing only 10% of the expenses, and host a related materials research facility - of which half the construction costs will be shouldered by the EU. <br /><br />"We believe that the Iter project should start as soon as possible for the sake of mankind's f <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[arkady]

Hmm, we allocate $10 billion to build a man-made sun, figured this would qualify as big news, but guess I was wrong. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[robnissen]

This seems pre-mature to me. It is my understanding that there is nothing that demonstrates that this reactor has any realistic chance of succeeding. $10 billion seems an awful lot to gamble on a lark. But then, I have always been a fusion skeptic. Back in the early '80s, I bet a college buddy 20 bucks that there would not be a commerical fusion reactor by the year 2000. Alas, I lost track of him over the years, and never got my 20 bucks.

 

[nacnud]

Magnetic confinement fusion as in the ITER project is a sure bet. Given all the work done to date I can't see any reason other than mis-management that would cause the program to fail.