The primary magnet of the largest nuclear fusion device in the world is now 1/7 complete. General Atomics has completed the first module of the ITER central solenoid. Technically, ITER only uses 6 of the modules (hopefully, we’ll never need to use that backup module).
Making Our Fusion Reactor Better, day 352 of 320: yesterday, we attached the final vacuum flanges to the tokamak. As we pump it down today, if there are no leaks, then the year-long engineering upgrade is complete 😵
My HTC One M8 lasted about five years, but now we have to part ways. I would have considered replacing the battery to keep it, but the failure of the physical buttons sealed its fate. A great phone 📱
Making Our Fusion Reactor Better, day 339 of 320: with vessel close and pumpdown only 6 days away, we better get all those tiles reinstalled!
What a beast!
Making Our Fusion Reactor Better, day 319 of 320: behold, the 50-ton neutral beam positioned in all its off-axis glory! 👩🔬📷
Newly placed on the shelf: a 1/30 scale model of Doublet III 🤩
Doublet III is the predecessor to the presently operating DIII-D National Fusion Facility. For a real blast from the past, here is a 1980 publication about the “Status and Future Plans of Doublet III.”
Making Our Fusion Reactor Better, day 305 of 320: first test of full hydraulic lift feature is successful! Our new 50-ton neutral beam lifted to an angle of roughly 20-degrees 📐
A 1978 site layout of the General Atomics Company 3.6 MW fusion power plant as drawn by the Parsons Company. It’s just the buildings, not the device, and for some reason it looks like they sited it in Colorado 😀
Someone sent me this gem: a 1977 poster from Grumman Aerospace Horizons magazine detailing 50 years of nuclear fusion energy development. It extends from “Great Expectations” in 1951 to “Pay Dirt” in 1978. Separates work into U.S. National Labs and international efforts.
