Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

graebot t1_j18ta5r wrote

Reply to comment by ivonshnitzel in How do fusion scientists expect to produce enough Tritium to sustain D-T fusion (see text)? by DanTheTerrible

Would there ever be a danger of a chain reaction with that setup?

19

[deleted] t1_j18uziv wrote

[removed]

47

RobusEtCeleritas t1_j1agk2b wrote

No, these are not like the fission chain reactions used in fission reactors. There's no way for that kind of thing to happen in this situation.

45

[deleted] t1_j1chn3p wrote

[removed]

0

RobusEtCeleritas t1_j1ctdta wrote

I don't know what you think those statements have to do with my comment. The question was whether the tritium-breeding reactions can cause a chain reaction, and the answer to that is no.

1

[deleted] t1_j1bdh3t wrote

[removed]

−2

RobusEtCeleritas t1_j1bejog wrote

RBMK fission reactors are completely different things than what we're talking about here. There's plenty of information available on what caused the Chernobyl accident, none of which is relevant to this conversation.

6

SnarfbObo t1_j1bdqqi wrote

Something goes wrong it just goes dark, the fun is in starting it up again, as i understand(not much)

5

AeternusDoleo t1_j1d635j wrote

There would be a danger of a localized kaboom, once the plasma loses containment it disperses - explosively. But I'm going to assume the amount of fuel in the reactor is going to be minimal, after all you're after a controlled fusion reaction. Once the fuel is spent or the pressure/temperature is too low to sustain fusion, the reaction ends.

2

cdstephens t1_j1bq2qw wrote

No, fusion devices cannot lead to an uncontrolled chain reaction. The reason is because the plasma needs to be confined in order to maintain the appropriate density and temperature; the Sun uses gravity to confine the plasma. In contrast, if the magnetic fields were turned off in a magnetic fusion device, the fusion plasma would just expand outwards into the wall and then cool down.

1