Reply To: Repowering the electric utility industry

[Joeviocoe]

asymmetric_implosion wrote: FF is probably going to need some neutron shielding. The alpha particles will generate some neutrons and there isn’t much to stop it. I don’t remember the number but I know Zapkitty commented on it a while back. I think the number was something like 0.2% of the energy output. If my memory is even so-so, that is 10 kW of neutrons is a big deal. The neutron yield is enough to be a concern from a regulatory stand point. I’m sure the activation decay is fast depending on the surrounding materials. No energy source is perfect but some are far better than others….if they work.

Once the Alphas are formed, wouldn’t they be very unidirectional since they are charged? And thus, any neutrons that do happen to come from those alpha particles, also be highly directional? If so, a shielded target just beyond the beam collection coils would only need to be fairly small.

Has Eric confirmed that 0.2% in any of his documents? Yeah, 10 KW of neutrons would be a big deal… but depending on the energy of the average neutron, that could be mostly thermal, and NOT cause activation with most materials used in FF.

Lots of heat coming from the reaction IS already accounted for and is one of the engineering problems to be solved. Activation may not be a problem if the average neutron is not energetic enough. Heat, even 10 KW of heat, can be dealt with engineering. Too much activation would require shielding since activation poses safety (and regulatory) concerns for people.

All I remember is Eric talking about how quickly the device is ‘cool’ enough to get near after a few seconds of shutdown, and after 9 hours, is ‘cool’ enough for a technician to open the chamber and swap out the electrodes. I don’t think he mentioned shielding being needed when using pB11 fuel. But maybe I’m wrong.