Fusion reactors also consume a lot of energy. ITER plans to have a gain factor o... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

		bewo001 on March 27, 2018 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Lockheed Martin has obtained a patent for a compac... Fusion reactors also consume a lot of energy. ITER plans to have a gain factor of 10, making 500MW of heat -- not electricity -- out of 50MW. According to wikipedia, a gain factor of 22 would be needed for commercial operation. The record is a gain factor of 0.67.. If fusion will ever become economically viable is an open question.

Nomentatus on March 29, 2018 [–]

But that gain factor declines steeply if sunk costs decline, as they would for smaller reactors producing more energy per pound installed.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact