• Pelicanen
    link
    964 months ago

    I want to add that experimental reactors used for scientific research might never become net energy positive and that would be fine. Their purpose isn’t to generate profit, it’s to learn more about the physics, so it will be more valuable for them to be adaptable than efficient.

    However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take a configuration that has been shown to have potential and make a reactor that is more efficient than adaptable and use that to generate power for the electrical grid.

    Basically, they have two different purposes.

    • TWeaK
      cake
      link
      fedilink
      English
      494 months ago

      Absolutely. Also, the fact that the reactor was only running for a short time plays a part. Usually there is a significant energy cost in starting and stopping, which is offset by running for a long time. However, these reactors are not designed for continued running.

      It’s all a process of development, and even though the article is perhaps a little sensationalist, they’re making good progress.