Fusion
A New Approach to Viable Nuclear Fusion!
Introduction
Attempts at transferring solar fusion principles into reactors have not succeeded. New research shows how solar fusion occurs. It is very different from the currently unsuccessful approaches. This totally new approach is the pathway to versatile nuclear fusion reactors that have a much wider range of applications than other nuclear fusion and fission reactors.
Background
Nuclear fusion practitioners have touted it as a potential inexhaustible energy source for over 70 years. They have not delivered. Their approach includes:-
- Protons must tunnel through charge barriers to fuse.
- Fusion requires extreme temperatures and densities.
- Large and expensive machines are needed. Brute force confinement is best.
After many decades and billions of dollars spent, this approach has not produced any viable fusion reactors. Under these studies, future prospects for commercial fusion are “still many decades and billions of dollars” away. A new approach is needed.
The New Approach
The sun fuses at its core temperature of 15 million °C. Earth-based fusion attempts approach ~150 million °C without much success. This indicates the respective fusion approaches must be different.
The solution is simple. If you want practical fusion, you don’t study hot plasmas. You study the mechanism the sun uses and engineer that into reactors. To achieve that, a new model of nucleons was developed. The standard model has not helped nuclear fusion progress. Under this new model, the quantum structures of the nucleons determine how neutral neutrons bind positive protons into nuclei. It also shows that a short-range proton to nucleus alignment allows protons to fuse with nuclei without positive charge repulsion.
Quantum Nuclear Fusion, QNF, is a process that incorporates that alignment principle into nuclear fusion reactors.
Figure 1 shows its effect. It is a log linear plot of the measured abundances of the elements observed in the sun. The black dots are the abundances of the even atomic number nuclei. The blue curve shows the expected abundances of even atomic number nuclei under this alignment theory.
Figure 1: Log–linear plot of the measured abundances of the different elements detected in the sun.
Most predicted even atomic number abundances are within a factor of 3 of the measured abundances. Over 7 orders of magnitude, that is an accuracy of over 99.9999%.
The abundances of lithium, beryllium and boron are vastly lower than expected because lithium and boron fuse easily. That has been verified by other means.
The above indicates controlled nuclear fusion is far more likely to succeed in reactors designed around alignment-based fusion, rather than the tunnelling-based fusion typically used. QNF achieves fusion by finesse, not brute force.
In principle designs that transfer proton/nucleus alignment into a form that can be used in reactors, have been collated. Compared to other fusion reactors, QNF reactors feature:
- Smaller reactors for the same power output.
- Lower power input to operate.
- Scalable from 1 MW to 1 GW.
- Plasma breakout not possible by design.
- Uses conventional buildable sub-systems, fuel sources, power, electronics, vacuum control.
Figure 2 shows some preferred fuels. As a quick comparison, when 1 atom of carbon burns with 2 atoms of oxygen, the approximate energy released is 4 eV. Carbon combustion is one of the most intense heat generating. chemical reactions.
Figure 2: Available QNF fuels, their reactions and heat output per fusion event.
The 2H + H ⟶ 3He reaction, 2 A, is the weakest heat generating hydrogen fusion reaction. It generates 5.5 MeV. Those interested in energy should never forget fusion’s energy per weight basis is tens of millions of times greater than fossil fuels.
Capabilities
Low MW reactors should fit inside standard shipping containers. Applications include power for remote small communities and industries, as well as heavy haulage transport.
Large MW reactors could provide electric power for mid-sized and larger population centres.
Gigawatt reactors could power cities and heavy industry.
There is an expectation that QNF based reactors would be less expensive, in terms of capital, fuel and service costs over their lifetime, than other power sources above a few MW.
These QNF reactors come without CO2 emissions. They could be used to replace solar panels and wind turbines as a source of clean renewable energy. There are no end-of-life disposal problems, as there are for solar panels and wind turbines. At their end-of-life cycle, major components could be melted down and recycled. Under current engineering practices, they could be expected to last up to 60 years.
They have no radiation concerns, as do fission reactors, and could occur with tritium-based fusion reactors, if they could ever be made to work.
QNF offers a build-to-validate program with staged milestones.
Low MW QNF reactors can be built to test this principle for a much lower price and much
quicker than other reactors currently under consideration. Estimates of cost and time to demonstrate the fusion capability are $A 60 M and 2.5 (± 1.5) years. If crucial stages are not met after all variations have been tried, the project will be terminated, its results published and uncommitted funds returned. This limits downside risks while preserving upside exposure.
This project is at the prototype development stage. The principles used have been independently tested. The equipment has not been assembled into a single unit. The QNF advantages include using a theory that matches observed solar element abundances to an accuracy of 99.9999% and has a low entry price.
Once the prototypes have been shown to work successfully and the designs finalized, the manufacturing time and costs of commercial QNF reactors should be much smaller than those for prototype development. There is a reasonable expectation QNF based reactors would be less expensive, in terms of capital, fuel and service costs over their lifetime, than other power sources above a few MW. About the Developer Vivian Robinson is a PhD physicist who spent over 30 years designing, manufacturing and internationally marketing high technology products world experts said would never work. His approach involved common sense with good engineering and mathematics skills, an ISO quality mindset and commercial reality. For those interested, the science is in a book, “The Common Sense Universe, published through Amazon; https://www.amazon.com/dp/0645412554/.
Next Steps
We are seeking tech-savvy investors or investment brokers to fund the proof-of-concept build. In return, they could secure an early positioning in what could become the most important energy platform of this century. As well as providing reliable base load electricity, a successful QNF project should replace much of the solar panel and wind turbine sectors of the renewable energy sources. That is a large market.
QNF represents the lowest cost and shortest time to enter the nuclear fusion energy market. It is a market for which there is already a high demand yet has no saleable product.
Like all new projects, this is a risk versus rewards venture. Important factors are:
- 1) What is at risk?
- 2) What are the rewards if successful?
- 3) What are the chances of success?
- 4) What are the terms?
- 1) The risk is the capital invested to validate the low MW nuclear fusion reactions.
- 2) The reward is to be the first to enter a large developing trading market, nuclear fusion energy, with a sought-after product, that could take an increasing share of the multi trillion dollar per year international energy market.
- 3) A high success probability comes from it using a theory that matches observed solar fusion results to 99.9999%. It gives it a huge advantage over other fusion technologies.
- 4) Terms are negotiable.
In conclusion, nuclear fusion has long promised us energy abundance but has failed to deliver. QNF represents a lower-cost, faster, and more physically grounded path to making fusion a commercial reality.
Those who know, are aware that whoever controls fusion, controls the future.
The greater risk may be not investing and watching the opportunity pass.
For more information, contact: info@etpsemra.com.au