Bussard Fusion Reactor - Science a GoGo's Discussion Forums

Exciting news - could we really be 10 years away from commercial available fusion units? (not tokamaks)

Bussard Reactor Funded

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The Bussard Fusion Reactor Is Set For The Next Research Stage. Private emails are circulating reports that Dr. Robert Bussard has come to an agreement with the US Navy to resume fusion research.

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It seems the purpose of the funding is to prepare to completion a repeatable test unit using the principles Dr. Bussard has developed that can be observed by independent reviewers.

For those who aren't aware of the Bussard reactor, you can watch a google presentation given by Dr. Bussard. It's pretty long (hour and a half), so get comfy.
Google Video

The long and the short of it, is that it's very different then the fusion reactors that get billions of funding dollars (tokamaks). It's based on a Boron fusion reaction, with the waste elements being 3 atoms of He, and NO additional neutrons! That's right, no additional radiation. And it's only 2-3 metres in diameter.
Very exciting indeed.

Bussard was awarded the 2006 Outstanding Technology of the Year Award by the International Academy of Science for this work

you haveta be kidding -- news of a doable, radiation free, fusion reactor, and not one comment?

Originally Posted By: Canuck

you haveta be kidding -- news of a doable, radiation free, fusion reactor, and not one comment?

I did'nt like to make a comment, it sound wonderful, too good to be true, actually.
Should'nt we wait and see what the outcome is? Dr Buzzard has modified a 40 year old idea, The Farnsworth Fusion Reactor.
That idea never materialised, in fact the Company that put money into the project, went bankrupt trying.
Dr Buzzard himself must be at least 75 years old, but if he has the ear, and the money, put up by the American Navy, to continue his research, good luck to him.
I am sure the world will be hoping that this new radiation free fusion reactor dos'nt sink into oblivion, as has other (cold?) fusion experiments.

Mike: "I did'nt like to make a comment, it sound wonderful, too good to be true, actually.
Should'nt we wait and see what the outcome is?"

Yes, My thoughts too. Hopefully it will make ITER obsolete before it's completed. Right now though, it's a case of 'watch that space'.

I emailed myself the url to this article and planned to read it as soon as I could, but I have forgotten. I will try to make it a point to read this article tonight when I get home.

Originally Posted By: Canuck

Exciting news - could we really be 10 years away from commercial available fusion units? (not tokamaks)
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10 years seems like a decade away... The Wendelstein 7x, 'stellarator' type reactor prototype is due to start operation around 2011. :-)

http://www.physorg.com/news10081.html

I thought the video was very intriguing.