April 26, 2018 defense contractor lockheed martin was recently awarded a patent for a novel design of compact nuclear fusion reactor, a device presumably small enough to be housed in a standard shipping container. Lockheed martin pursues compact fusion reactor concept 16 october 2014, by nancy owano lockheed martin is making news this week with declarations about putting the atomic age on. Compact nuclear fusion reactor advanced science news. The high beta fusion reactor also known as the 4th generation prototype t4 is a project being developed by a team led by charles chase of lockheed martins skunk works.
Skunk works reveals compact fusion reactor details. It comes as no surprise, then, that lockheed announced it would test a compact fusion reactor in less than a year, build a prototype in five years. Lockheed martin announces its working on a compact fusion. Apr 03, 2018 nonetheless, the defense contractors advanced projects arm, skunk works, has been working on the reactor since the company announced the project in 2014. Dubbed the compact fusion reactor cfr, the device is conceptually. In 2014, lockheed said its nuclear reactor would be small enough. The long wait for fusion power may be coming to an end. What once was the provenance comic books a supercompact, highpowered fusion reactor is now becoming a reality, and soon bruce wayne and tony stark could see their might matched by none other than lockheed martin.
Lockheed martin announces its skunk works wants to build a fusion. Maguire and his team places emphasis on the turnaround time for modifying and testing the compact. Lockheed martin reveals compact fusion reactor asp. Lockheed martins new compact fusion reactor might change. Oct 15, 2014 by containing the power of the sun in a small magnetic bottle, we are on the fast track to developing compact fusion reactors to serve the worlds evergrowing energy needs. Lockheed martins skunk works is building a new, more capable test reactor as it continues to move ahead with its ambitious compact fusion reactor program, or cfr. Lockheed martin compact nuclear fusion reactor concept will. Aviation week was given exclusive access to view the skunk works experiment, dubbed t4, first hand. The defense giant said wednesday it is building a compact nuclear fusion reactor. Could lockheed martins proposed compact fusion reactor work.
Mar 29, 2018 18 books you should consider reading this weekend. Device that could solve the worlds energy crisis is 100 times larger than first planned. This is an invention that might possibly modify the civilization as we know it. Nov 10, 2017 lockheed compact fusion reactor now uh.
Lockheeds skunk works has a patent for a portable fusion. Skunk works reveals compact fusion reactor details anthony watts october 15, 2014 wuwt reader paul ostergaard tips us to this article from aviation week and space technology video follows. Lockheeds skunk works developing trucksize fusion reactor the. Lockheed martins compact fusion reactor might change humanity forever. The skunk works recent compact fusion reactor design. In 20, lockheed martins skunk works revealed experimental work on a new highbeta reactor design concept, a compact fusion reactor, for. Newlyawarded patent for skunk works engineer shows design of compact fusion reactor, with a drawing of an f. The cfr, which provides clean energy without producing radioactive waste, has both civil and military applications. Lockheed martin compact fusion reactor update with video of. The high beta configuration allows a compact fusion reactor design and speedier development timeline. The compact fusion reactor is being developed at lockheeds skunk works lockheed envisions the cfr as a way of refitting conventional gas turbine power plants by. The lockheed compact fusion reactorannounced in 20, and currently under development by a team at the companys skunk works.
Hidden away in the secret depths of the skunk works, a lockheed martin research team has been working quietly on a nuclear energy concept they believe has the potential to meet, if not eventually decrease, the worlds insatiable demand for power dubbed the compact fusion reactor cfr, the device is conceptually safer, cleaner and more powerful than much larger, current nuclear systems. Lockheeds skunk works has a patent for a portable fusion reactor design on. A compact fusion reactor presented by skunk works, the stealth experimental technology section of lockheed martin. I was able to get a hold of their posters and i wrote this summary article. Skunk works exotic fusion reactor program moves forward. The companys skunk works has provided new details to the public about its work in compact fusion. Will lockheed martin change the world with its new fusion. Lockheed martins claim that it would try to build a compact nuclear fusion reactor in the next decade sounds like a science fiction dream coming true. Lockheed martins legendary skunk works engineering division is developing a compact fusion reactor that. Lockheed martins skunk works is building a new, more capable test reactor as it continues to move ahead with its ambitious compact fusion. Mar 30, 2018 but there is something very intriguing in this newer version of the story, for now were getting a glimpse not only of how this little reactor is supposed to work, but more importantly, what it might be for. In november, lockheedmartin presented two posters on the cfr at the 2016 aps meeting in san diego. Skunk works has said very little about this project outside of the plasma physics community.
Artists rendition of concept compact fusion reactor cfr. Lockheed martins skunk works advanced development arm has made progress toward its goal of building a compact fusion reactor that may be used to power large aircraft or a town of 80k homes, the drive reported friday skunk works, which has been working on the cfr project since 2014, designed the t5 experimental fusion reactor to manage the behavior of highenergy plasma and power a thermal. Skunk works reveals compact fusion reactor details hacker news. A reactor small enough to fit on a truck could provide enough power for a small city of up to 100,000 people. Jun 05, 2016 the skunk works recent compact fusion reactor design. Currently, there are several patents pending that cover their approach. The lockheed martin compact fusion reactor cfr is a proposed nuclear fusion reactor project at lockheed martins skunk works. Lockheed martins compact fusion reactor might change. I mean if its a compact fusion reactor like they really claim which remains to be seen because thats doubtful, planes would be a very obvious implantation as would be pretty much everything using energy.
Well, how do you think they got to succeed by not doing it. Lockheed martin is betting that it can be done and within a decade. Almost breathless announcements of cheap workable energy within five years seems the tenor of many headlines. Hidden away in the secret depths of the skunk works, a lockheed martin research team has been working quietly on a nuclear energy concept they believe has the potential to meet, if not eventually decrease, the worlds insatiable demand for power. One version is designed to produce 100 megawatts, enough to power a city of 100,000 people. Tom mcguire stands next to the compact fusion reactor experiment inside his lab at the skunk works in palmdale, california, in this undated handout photo provided by lockheed martin. Nonetheless, the defense contractors advanced projects arm, skunk works, has been working on the reactor since the company announced the project in 2014. Lockheed martins secretive skunk works laboratory registered. Apr 26, 2018 lockheeds skunk works has a patent for a portable fusion reactor design on. Martin is working on a device that could become a compact fusion reactor. The lockheed martin skunk works team is working on a new compact fusion reactor cfr that can be developed and deployed in as little as ten years. Jul 29, 2018 lockheed martin recently registered a patent on a revolutionary design of a compact fusion reactor cfr, a mobile device small enough to be mounted on a truck. The compact fusion reactor from lockheed martin has produced.
This concept uses a high fraction of the magnetic field pressure, or all of its potential, so we can make our devices 10 times smaller than previous concepts. At lockheed martin skunk works, were making advancements in. To get a sense of just how significant a development this new compact fusion. Lockheed martin skunk works reveals compact fusion reactor. May 06, 2016 its been 11 months since this question was asked. In 20, lockheed martins skunk works revealed experimental work on a new highbeta reactor design concept, a compact fusion reactor, for commercial fusion power. Lockheed martin recently registered a patent on a revolutionary design of a compact fusion reactor cfr, a mobile device small enough to be mounted on a truck. Dec 29, 2017 the long wait for fusion power may be coming to an end.
Newlyawarded patent for skunk works engineer shows design of compact fusion reactor, with a drawing of an f16 included as a potential application. Oct 21, 2014 the program manager of the skunk works compact fusion reactor experiment is tom maguire. The small size of the reactor makes the timeframe much faster than other fusion experiments. To get a sense of just how significant a development this new compact fusion reactor could be, lockheed martin. Lockheeds fusion reactor is 100 times larger than planned. Lockheed skunk works says it has a nuclear fusion reactor. The program manager of the skunk works compact fusion reactor experiment is tom maguire. Lockheed martin reveals compact fusion reactor asp american.
Lockheed martin skunkworks is developing a compact fusion reactor concept, cfr. The compact fusion reactor, or cfr, is at least in theory safer, cleaner, and more powerful than existing nuclear reactors, according to an. Aug 01, 2018 lockheed martins secretive skunk works. Compact fusion reactor will be available in 5 years. The compact fusion reactor seems to have suddenly leapt into the news pages of nuclear fusion energy as well as scientific and general media. Lockheed martin has quietly obtained a patent associated with its design for a potentially revolutionary compact fusion reactor, or cfr.
Oct 17, 2014 the compact fusion reactor is being developed at lockheeds skunk works lockheed envisions the cfr as a way of refitting conventional gas turbine power plants by replacing their combustion. Lockheed skunk works developing trucksized fusion reactor. The design is for a compact fusion reactor cfr which theoretically produces cheap, clean, near limitless energy all from a device that could fit on the back of a semi. Its about the size of a jet engine and it can fuel airplanes, most likely spaceships, and cities. Lockheedmartin skunk works announced a prototype compact fusion reactor that could be ready within five years. No net neutrality remove filter rtechnology is a place to share and discuss the latest developments, happenings and curiosities in the world of technology. Oct 16, 2014 tom mcguire stands next to the compact fusion reactor experiment inside his lab at the skunk works in palmdale, california, in this undated handout photo provided by lockheed martin. Its no secret that our skunk works team often finds itself on the cutting edge of technology. Lockheeds skunk works developing trucksize fusion reactor. Well, that may finally be about to change once and for all with compact fusion reactor cfr. The novel magnetic cusp configuration would allow for. No pollution, pretty much unlimited power generation for a plane of course, no refuelling needed except super rarely, probably. Its highbeta configuration, which implies that the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure is greater than or equal to 1 compared to tokamak designs 0. Intended to utilize an accelerated design cycle, and produce a fusion power plant small enough to be transported assembled.
Lockheed martins new compact fusion posted on june 5, 2016 by fabio evangelista this is an invention that might possibly modify the civilization as we know it. Compact fusion reactor kerfluffle ignited by skunk works. Lockheed martin compact fusion reactor update with video. Until they publish, we cannot really assess what they have. This design lets it to be 10 times smaller at the same power output of somewhat like the iter, which is anticipated to produce 500 mw in the 2020s. Many of the approaches to nuclear fusion right now have significant drawbacks, tom mcguire, compact fusion lead for lockheeds californiabased skunk works team, said in a phone. This is essential for the use of fusion in all kind of uses, not only in huge, costly power plants. By containing the power of the sun in a small magnetic bottle, we are on the fast track to developing compact fusion reactors to serve the worlds evergrowing energy needs.
Lockheed developing trucksized nuclear fusion reactor. What happened to the fusion reactor by lockheed martin. As they work to develop a source of infinite energy, our engineers. A compact fusion reactor from lockheeds skunk works ialtenergy. The goal of the iter is to demonstrate a fusion reactor which produces more power than it consumes, and most importantly sustain this power for an extended period of time hours initially, then. Lockheed portable fusion project still making progress lockheed martin continues to invest in its portable nuclear fusion generator, with that investment recently entering a more advanced stage, according to the head of the companys skunk works division. Lockheeds skunk works arm moves ahead with compact fusion. Lockheed martins secretive skunk works unit, which designed the u2 spy plane and f117 stealth fighter jet, is developing a reactor to harness nuclear fusion, the process that powers. Lockheed martin compact nuclear fusion reactor concept will have 20 times more plasma is ten times smaller and targets a 100 mw prototype in 2019. Oct 23, 2014 as the us engineering company lockheed martin reports, its skunk works team is working on a new compact fusion reactor cfr that can be developed and deployed in as little as ten years. Is lockheed martin working on a nuclear fusionpowered.
A compact fusion reactor from lockheeds skunk works. Skunk works exotic fusion reactor program moves forward with. The compact fusion reactor by lockheed martin from their skunk works program has generated excited media attention. Will lockheed martin change the world with its new fusion reactor. Lockheed martin compact nuclear fusion reactor concept. Breakthrough on fusion energy announced by lockheed video. The reactor, measuring seven by ten feet, will be built and tested within a year, and a prototype is to be built in five years. Lockheed martin now has a patent for its potentially world changing fusion reactor. Lockheed martins legendary skunk works team has come up with a new compact fusion reactor design that could achieve a 90 percent savings in size, meaning that a reactor that once took up an. Skunk works state that it will be operational in 10 years. As the us engineering company lockheed martin reports, its skunk works team is working on a new compact fusion reactor cfr that can be developed and deployed in as little as ten years. Newlyawarded patent for skunk works engineer shows design of compact fusion reactor, with a drawing of an f16 included as a potential. Lockheed developing compact yet powerful fusion reactor.
Lockheed martins legendary skunk works engineering division is developing a compact fusion reactor that uses cylindrical magnetic. Lockheed martin pursues compact fusion reactor concept. Oct 16, 2014 the companys skunk works has provided new details to the public about its work in compact fusion. Building on more than 60 years of fusion research, the lockheed martin skunk works approach to compact fusion is a high beta concept. Pure tech lockheed martin skunk works reveals compact fusion reactor details submitted 4 years ago by dragon029. Aug 18, 2015 the high beta fusion reactor also known as the 4th generation prototype t4 is a project being developed by a team led by charles chase of lockheed martins skunk works.
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