Lockheed Martin solves energy crisis

[Berati]

I was at a Christmas party last week when some told me that Lockheed Martin was 2 years away from having a working Fusion reactor that could fit on the back of a Semi.
I was of course skeptical but I was assured that a large company like Lockheed wouldn't make this up.
Lockheed now says 5 years.

http://www.lockheedmartin.ca/us/products/compact-fusion.html

So, do you think our prayers have been answered?

[Aletheia]

In seventh grade I made it to regional with the science fair and made an acquaintance with a boy from another school whose project was a fusion design idea. Before the end of the day, I remember the Air Force along with some other official looking people had talked to him. Many had asked questions which at the time were beyond what I knew (and many, grudgingly, still are). However, they seemed rather impressed. He did win that day, and I was told that he was given a scholarship. I've often wondered what had become of him and if he was ever successful in his endeavors.

[Solitary]

Aletheia, you always make very good posts!  :super:Solitary

[stromboli]

I have a few problems with this. first of all is that solar power has now become so efficient it has surpassed fossil fuels for low cost per energy output. Secondly, there are several alternatives to fusion reactors, including Thorium reactors that have abundant fuel for thousands of years and are much safer than Plutonium/Uranium reactors. Thirdly, there are low cost methods of providing power to cities that takes it out of the big power grid; I grew up in a city that had its own electrical supply generated by a mountain stream in the canyon above town. High head water turbines are small and not intrusive to wildlife, and work very well.

A Fusion reactor is centralized power owned by a giant corporation. Which means we are dependent on a giant corporation which will control who gets what and what cost. Decentralized energy sources are exactly what they fear, and want centralized power to take control out of the hands of the people. States are fighting against solar because they want to control who gets the money, and force you to pay it.

[stromboli]

This is one of the things I am talking about:

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/soitec_fraunhofer_ise_multi_junction_cpv_cell_hits_world_record_46_conversi

A Soitec multi-junction solar cell for use in concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems has become the company’s latest cell to reach a world record for conversion efficiency at 46%, according to Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (Fraunhofer ISE).

The Germany-headquartered research institute once again collaborated with Soitec on the new cell, along with CEA-Leti, a division of the French research and technology organisation. The three parties were also involved in the most recent record-breaking CPV cell last year.

The efficiency of the new cell has been independently verified under standard test conditions by the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). The multi-junction cell’s efficiency was measured at a concentration of 508 suns under a Fresnel concentrator lens. So-called multi-junction cells, based on III-V semiconductor compound materials, allow the materials at each junction to respond to different wavelengths of light.

This is huge, because like every other example of solar, it will get cheaper over time as it is implemented. Solar is already dollar for dollar more efficient than fossil fuels. All Purpose Atheist posted an article a few weeks ago that pointed out how little an area of solar panels was needed to power the world. This makes it even more efficient.

[Berati]

I have a few problems with this. first of all is that solar power has now become so efficient it has surpassed fossil fuels for low cost per energy output.

I have trouble believing this is true at the moment though maybe not so far in the future. I've read the articles and yet I have a summer home that is off grid. I've installed a $12,000 solar system that is capable of running lights, a 12v fridge, satellite tv, 46" flat screen...
However, the cost to beef up the system to run year round with heat would be about $50,000 minimum (It used to be $100,000 not that long ago)
So while the future looks good, I still think it would be cheaper for me to heat with gas than to go full solar at the moment.

A Fusion reactor is centralized power owned by a giant corporation. Which means we are dependent on a giant corporation which will control who gets what and what cost. Decentralized energy sources are exactly what they fear, and want centralized power to take control out of the hands of the people.

The Fusion reactor they depict is small enough to be loaded onto the back of an 18 wheeler. It is decentralized power. And, it would be cheaper than any other form of power generation.
Trouble is... I don't believe it. I think Lockheed is trying to lure public and private investors in order to continue to fund this research.
BTW, I'm OK with putting money into this kind of research because the potential is so crazy. Abundant, cheap, non polluting energy! But most scientists think its decades away at the least. They are exaggerating where they are at to get investors. This has been going on with Fusion since forever.

[stromboli]

Yeah, but I worked for the Air Force for many years. Not going to say I have first hand knowledge, but I'll believe a truck sized generator when I see one. It will still be under the auspices of a corporation very much in the military industrial complex loop.