"More energy will be produced by this ignition process than the amount of laser energy required to start it. This is the long-sought goal of energy gain that has been the goal of fusion researchers for more than half a century," said NIF director Edward Moses." Recreating the power of the sun here on earth. Wind is as waste of time, we are leapfrogging. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2g0h_fPZV6WJZ5aZRSUTu51CBcQD98HFHGG3 World's strongest laser unveiled at California lab 4 days ago LIVERMORE, Calif. (AP) â The world's most powerful laser, created to help keep tabs on the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile while also studying the heavens, has been unveiled. The super laser, known officially as the National Ignition Facility, was unveiled Friday at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory about 50 miles east of San Francisco. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., were among thousands of people in attendance at the ceremony. The NIF, which is the size of a football field, consists of 192 separate laser beams, each traveling 1,000 feet in one-thousandth of a second to converge simultaneously on a target the size of a pencil eraser. Federal officials said they planned to use it on a multifaceted assignment that would include ensuring aging nuclear weapons are functioning properly without resorting to underground testing. Other uses will include the study of astrophysics and experiments in developing green energy programs. Beginning next year, scientists also will use the laser for experiments aimed at creating controlled fusion reactions similar to those found in the sun. "More energy will be produced by this ignition process than the amount of laser energy required to start it. This is the long-sought goal of energy gain that has been the goal of fusion researchers for more than half a century," said NIF director Edward Moses. The laser will be used in astrophysics, allowing scientists to mimic conditions inside planets and new solar systems, something the lab's officials said would allow for conducting experiments that could never be undertaken on Earth before.
That is a great story about the super laser. We NEED nuclear fusion. The government and private industry should spend more to solve the problem of creating a fusion reactor. That one development would pretty much solve all our energy problems. (well, that and some new battery technology breakthroughs).
What? The sound barrier at sea level is 760mph. The maximum rotational speed of an 80m (262ft) wind turbine is mechanically limited to 19rpm. That translates to a rotational tip speed of 262x3.14x19x60/5,280 or 177mph. Stick to one argument; utility scale or residential, okay? So, tell us Anaconda, just how much solar stock(s) have you bought and how far underwater are you?
The main issue with fusion/nuclear related technology would be a signing off by society to those who control these energy centers..... Fusion prospects are not portable.... ....................................................... No one owns the sun.... And the idea of batteries affordable to the masses....as well as portable....cheap solar based heat transfer systems.... Make for a less centralized form of energy.... Most people have had it with the fascists....etc.... Society beholden to who ?
Yes, you get sonic booms. One of the primary complaints from nearby residents. Like I said, if you do the research, you will read about it. You also get giant icicles being launched. Uhm why? You have a problem looking at the whole picture? Wind is limited at both scales, on-site and utility. Residential is a host of problems, even putting up a small reasonable turbine may cause you problems with your local board. Utility-wise, if the wind is too much and production will overload the grid, you have to shut down the turbine & then start it back up. A lot more energy intensive than just turning off an array of solar. If you do not realize that there is money to be made in solar, then it's your loss. I'm not talking about stocks either. When you're ready to learn a little smth, maybe send me a PM. As for the actual stocks, the big move is long behind us. Years back I did throw some cash into solars when they were less known & low priced, like ESLR & DSTI. That hype train has come & gone. Currently I hold some LEAPs on SPWRA and FSLR. I missed the pop on FSLR.
I see no point in wasting time "researching' urban legends or unfounded complaints by random people. The math is irrefutable; it's physically impossible for a sonic boom to be created by an 80 meter wind mill that's mechanically limited to 19rpm. Hardly. I've done a lot of research on residential green technologies in preparing for adding some to my own house and I'd be more than happy to discuss them. But, that's not where we started here. You challenged me on the the utility side, so finish what you started first. If you've got research that refutes any of what I said and supports what you've said then provide some links.
For wind, there is no good place to place turbines. For solar, there is one GREAT place to place solar panels. Right above train tracks. I think solar is the energy of the future
I don't think your ears care very much when it sounds just like a sonic boom. I'm just referring to the feedback from studies that are collected on a regular basis to evaluate wind projects. I stand corrected, it is "sonic boom like". It does, however, have very similar effects on the environment as real sonic booms. Heh, doing research for your home is quite different from actually developing & planning large projects for profit. If you did so much research and love wind, go ahead and contact a wind installer, then get the largest turbine you can get installed. I suggest a 50kw. Maybe you can even get some production tax credits from Federal. Once again, Denmark did the largest windification project in the world, with clear goal in mind to generate a significant percentage of their energy from wind. The results were quite different from the projections. If you refuse to research it, there is not much to talk about. The biggest point is that when it comes to wind, generation capacity and actual production are quite different. The results are clear. It is very difficult to make Wind a significant utility scale source because of the problems. Its cost is not extremely low in comparison to other technologies. Its gross cost is lower than solar, but not by much. I don't know why you're so stuck on wind and don't really care. If you had done unbiased research across all the technologies, you would realize that wind is inferior on most levels. I do think it's perfect for offshore drilling platforms and similar sites like that.
I had the opportunity to witness two sonic booms while I was in the Navy on board the Independence. One was an F/14 during a family day, the other a stretch F-111 during war games. Trust me, the vapor build up around the aircraft as well as the sound and the shock wave combine for one hell of an indelible experience. Like these? http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?N=4294871842 Do us both a favor, provide a link, okay? And, once again, no they didn't. Cut the crap Anaconda. I told you exactly why they had problems. It's not my fault if your bias against wind power prohibits you from being able to assimilate it. Variability. Again, cut the crap and ditto as per previous comment. The technical problems are solvable, it's the psychological barriers that are the real bitch. It's probably going to take a summer or three of $1,000+ home electricity bills before people come around. Had you bothered to actually read what I posted you'd know that I'm a proponent of both; wind and solar are complimentary sources. It's clear that you're like libertad, stuck in broadcast-only mode. Save your breath and I'll save mine.