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Discuss In ForumsHouse hearing on fusion
The House (of Reps) Subcommittee on Energy & Environment Hearing on “The Next Generation of Fusion Energy Research” was held Thursday, Oct. 29 from 10-12. This event can be seen here (RealPlayer required).
As you see from their Hearing Charter (pdf file)- aneutronic fusion is not yet a gleam in the House’s eye. The title is “Next Generation”, but the bulk of information is about deuterium/tritium and tokomaks and other toroidal approaches. Aneutronic may come up in the section under one of those “other” items tacked on near the end of the charter. Perhaps as they discuss plasma research in general.
I do hope the topic of aneutronic fusion gets some valid discussion during the session. The deck seems pretty stacked.
If any of you catch it, let us know what you thought. Will any aneutronic cracks appear in the national approach to fusion energy research?
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There are (5) comments.Too bad the charter didn’t specify the “Non-Tokamak magnetic fusion concepts and experiments of various sizes and shapes”, but I’m sure FoFu (or Polywell) isn’t one of them.
It might be better to not be “on the radar”.
Any thing the Feds know about they try to regulate.
I’m sure we’re on the radar, just not officially. Government does ‘dumb’ things on a grand $cale to force the private sector to figure out practical ways to get things done.
The X-prize is a prime example.
It’s a no-brainer since he was the director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, but I’m glad that video reminded me Rush Holt (NJ District 12) was there. We communicated with Deborah Koolbeck in his DC office in late 2005—Definitely time to update them, as well!
Watched that video recently.
Funniest remark from Chairman Bard I found was after all the specialists done their thing:
“It kinda blows your mind we’re going through all that trouble to heat water”
Too bad we couldn’t see the faces of all those top-job PHD’s when he said that.
He was maybe imagining a humming, bleeping futuristic gizmo, sitting next to a hissing, puffing 19th-century contraption.
The nail hit on its head regarding the conventional approach to fusion research
p.s. If you find this hearing too boring to watch entirely, just skip over to the 41th minute, when the questions start.
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