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A comment on Helion Energy achieves fusion milestone. Parent comment

Re:Helion Energy achieves fusion milestone by DennisP on Thursday July 22, 2021 @09:01AM (#27918322)
They do address the neutron flux, by not using D-T. Instead they plan a hybrid D-D/D-He3 reaction. Only 6% of the energy output will be neutron radiation, which will mostly be the lower-energy neutrons of D-D reactions. Combined with direct energy conversion I think that addresses all your objections other than feasibility of the plasma physics, for which I guess they disagree with the government. Regarding your seventh point, I thought it was perfectly clear and not "technobabble" at all.

Most frauds don't take the trouble to actually build half a dozen reactors. Helion might fail, but they're clearly making a real attempt.

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Re:Helion Energy achieves fusion milestone by baybal2 on Thursday July 22, 2021 @09:07AM (#27918377)
> Only 6% of the energy output will be neutron radiation,

Then you still have few megawatts of neutrons! More than in the most power dense fission reactors, but without water to protect the reactor parts.

> which will mostly be the lower-energy neutrons of D-D reactions.

2.45 MeV. Which may be better, or worse from the capture, and transmutation side.

On the bonus side, it's just enough to fission U238! It may make sense to just to run it to burn U238, or possibly Th232.

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