A home energy perspective
Best
case:
Nuclear
fusion energy in a decade? Lockheed Martin is betting on it.
What
if the nuclear reaction that heats the sun could be replicated to
power cities on earth?
Lockheed
Martin is betting that it can be done — and within a decade. The defense
giant said Wednesday it is building a compact nuclear fusion reactor.
The
key term here is “compact.” Although nuclear fusion has been studied for
decades, Lockheed is hoping to build a reactor small enough to fit on the back of a
truck and ship around the globe.
“Many
of the approaches [to nuclear fusion] right now have significant
drawbacks,” Tom McGuire, compact fusion lead for Lockheed’s
California-based “Skunk Works” team, said in a phone interview. Some of
those drawbacks include instability associated with the reaction, he said,
or scaling problems, which means the reactor needs to be very large in order
for fusion to work.
“What’s
different about our physics is it’s inherently small and stable,” McGuire
said. The Skunk Works Group’s first step is proving that its model works,
he said. Eventually, the company hopes that “instead of a
construction project, we can make them in a factory,” he said.
With
the announcement, Lockheed joins a host of ongoing global efforts to study
the potential of nuclear fusion. For example, the European Commission last week
announced a $1 billion (850 million euro) initiative to develop nuclear fusion
as an energy source by 2020.
Here’s
how nuclear fusion works: When two extremely hot atoms collide,
their nuclei combine to form one, releasing massive amounts of energy.
Unlike nuclear fission, which powers the world’s reactors today,
nuclear fusion does not release harmful radioactive material, making it a clean
form of energy.
This
Lockheed video explains how scientists want to harness the energy released
in the fusion reaction, to potentially fuel airplanes or power cities:
Why
talk about the effort now?
“We’ve
strategically chosen this time because of our technical progress and exposure
to our patents pending,” a Lockheed spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement.
“We are also looking for partners to work with us on the project, plus we think
it is important for the public and decision makers to understand the real
promise that compact fusion has for our nation and the world as a near-term
solution to our energy needs.”
Lockheed
said it would look for partners in industry as well as the academic community,
McGuire said. The team at Lockheed is made up of about 10 people, he said.
Lockheed
Martin didn’t say how much money it will invest in the project. But as
with many defense contractors, the company has ramped up its investment in
energy projects such as wind, solar and tidal energy over the
last few years.
For
the nuclear fusion project, the company hopes to take a cue from the venture
capitalist world, McGuire said. That means the team will seek additional
funding after successful technology demonstrations at every stage, he said.
Most
recently, the company acquired a Massachusetts energy start-up that
developed a low-cost rechargeable battery.
This
post has been updated with additional comments from Skunk Works.
Worse case:
Subject:
New Hemlocks wood cooking stove and wood stove
Think of this email as a second blush report of what I have
learned so far. So expect refinements as I learn more about this
particular new stove.
1) Overall I am pleased.
2) Think of it as a spouse, with a personality that has to
been learned by the other spouse.
3) The stove is located in the second cottage in the room
that presently has one full bed. This room is by the “rec” room that I
also propose to be a one room school house if need be. This room also has an
Ashley wood stove in it.
4) The stove has three main parts: a: A wood stove for
heating the room (on the left side of the stove); b: A cooking oven (on the
right side of the stove) that is medium size I would say; c: A stove top for
cooking in general, to include cooking with pots and fry pans, for example.
5) The wood stove is lined with fire brick, and is relatively
large for a cooking stove. Compared to a more traditional cooking stove,
this stove looks more modern. It was made by the Amish up in Michigan and
shipped to the Hemlocks.
6) The “on” for the stove (both heating and cooking) is starting
the fire. The “off” is when the fire goes out. The wood stove
portion has a thermostat that if set properly should burn and heat the room all
night.
7) The oven thermometer goes up to 1,000 F. Right now without
trying very hard I have it up to 360 F. There are three main air valves
that work together to best support the oven.
8) The wood stove chimney (it is relatively new and has been used
so I think it is safe) has a magnetic thermometer on it. The stove pipe has a
typical exhaust valve on it, too.
9) I will show all users how to learn the stove and oven, and then
they will have to learn it’s use on their own. Their test can be the food
they cook.
10) There are three Coleman fold out ovens for baking on the top
of other wood stoves (in both cottages), too.
11) The room has a bunch of windows and three doors, but will
probably be real warm when the oven is used during the summer time. It
should be real toasty and nice during the cold season.
12) I got this stove made without a water heater. Winter
baths will probably be quick, and summer baths will often include a swim in a
pond. One can heat water for the 35 gallon galvanized container if they
choose to do so, and can find the time.
13) I sent an earlier link with pictures of what this stove looks
like.
A sample customer picture
of the Kitchen Queen wood cooking stove
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