I am not a nuclear engineer, but I do understand that control and confinement of hot nuclear fusion has been and continues to be difficult. Holding a hot plasma in place while it produces energy has been complicated by stability problems. Is anyone here familiar with the concept of the superregenerative radio receiver? The receiver is deliberately driven into regeneration and then just as deliberately driven back out of regeneration at a regular rate called the "quench frequency". Could a hot fusion reactor be controlled similarly? Drive it into fusion, hold it there briefly and then drive it back out at a regular rate. The quench rate, waveshape, etc. would probably have to be determined experimentally. engineer Bill

I'm afraid I am no nuclear engineer either... I reply only because I am fascinated by fusion reactors (and because I know a little about ordinary chemical reactors).

 

Do you mean that you operate the fusion reactor in pulses? Short reaction period, followed by a certain period where no reaction takes place?

What is the gradient actually across the plasma? Is it only temperature? Or is there also a pressure gradient?

 

I would assume that it's impossible to keep the plasma in a fusion reactor completely stable, and that you will need a controller anyway.

 

I guess what really matters here is the "reaction rate" of the hydrogen as a function of the temperature/pressure. You would want the same power per time (on average), and preferably no runaway reaction that can destroy any equipment

Yes, the reactor would be operated in pulses. I have idea what the gradient should be. Intuitively I imagine that the reactor could be quickly pushed to maximum or near maximum power before the instability gets "out of hand" and quickly brought back to zero to "rest" until the next "on pulse". Has something like this ever been tried? Old Engineer(72 years old, in fact).

I'm afraid I am no nuclear engineer either... I reply only because I am fascinated by fusion reactors (and because I know a little about ordinary chemical reactors).

 

Do you mean that you operate the fusion reactor in pulses? Short reaction period, followed by a certain period where no reaction takes place?

What is the gradient actually across the plasma? Is it only temperature? Or is there also a pressure gradient?

 

I would assume that it's impossible to keep the plasma in a fusion reactor completely stable, and that you will need a controller anyway.

 

I guess what really matters here is the "reaction rate" of the hydrogen as a function of the temperature/pressure. You would want the same power per time (on average), and preferably no runaway reaction that can destroy any equipment

The closest to what you describe is called Magnetized Target Fusion.

 

This company wants to develop such a reactor:

http://www.generalfusion.com/

by browsing its website, you can find a description of the previous attempts as well.

 

Some technological suggestions, meant to overcome the difficulties at their hammers, are there

http://www.sciencefo...-target-fusion/