11 votes

Radical hydrogen-boron reactor could leapfrog current nuclear fusion tech

5 comments

  1. [2]
    joelthelion
    (edited )
    Link
    This is an interesting new possibility for fusion that I hadn't heard about. Based on what people are saying, it's far from clear that it will work, but it is interesting and is a very different...

    This is an interesting new possibility for fusion that I hadn't heard about. Based on what people are saying, it's far from clear that it will work, but it is interesting and is a very different approach.

    HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22382618
    Lobste.rs: https://lobste.rs/s/3liwft/radical_hydrogen_boron_reactor_could

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. joelthelion
        Link Parent
        Got my copying and pasting wrong, thanks for pointing it out :)

        Got my copying and pasting wrong, thanks for pointing it out :)

        2 votes
  2. spctrvl
    Link
    Considering how much harder the hydrogen-boron reaction is to ignite than the deuterium-tritium one we're still struggling with (10 times), and how much lower the energy output is (1/2000th), call...

    Considering how much harder the hydrogen-boron reaction is to ignite than the deuterium-tritium one we're still struggling with (10 times), and how much lower the energy output is (1/2000th), call me a skeptic. Seems to me that if they can achieve even a tenth or a hundredth of breakeven with H-B, they should be able to retool to build the mother of all D-T reactors, especially as their technique as described in the article doesn't seem to be specific to their fuels.

    4 votes
  3. patience_limited
    Link
    Skeptical here as well, especially since there's little viable update on the last spate of glowing press releases from 2017. Hora's lab has been chugging along generating papers for decades, but...

    Skeptical here as well, especially since there's little viable update on the last spate of glowing press releases from 2017.

    Hora's lab has been chugging along generating papers for decades, but the most recent news may have been spurred by some experimental evidence from another research team that they're actually getting significant production of alpha particles from the B11 process. Watch this space, but I'm not holding my breath for a practical process yet.

    4 votes
  4. retiredrugger
    Link
    Damn. Obviously we have to remain skeptical until commercial use is proven viable, but this would be revolutionary.

    Damn. Obviously we have to remain skeptical until commercial use is proven viable, but this would be revolutionary.

    2 votes