Re: the hydrogen economy

From: Jay Willingham (jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 12:27:07 EDT

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    I hope physicists at this level are in the main more motivated than your
    average NEA member.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Darryl Maddox" <dpmaddox@arn.net>
    To: "Jay Willingham" <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com>
    Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 11:40 AM
    Subject: Re: the hydrogen economy

    > It all depends on how wisely the money is spent which depends in part on
    how
    > badly the people doing the work want it finished and how many chances they
    > are willing to take. My guess is that they took more on the Manhattan
    > project than we would want to know about. On the contrary side of the
    > question of "does money = progress" look at American education. More
    money
    > per pupil = falling test scores for several decades now. Though in Texas
    > either my expectations are going down or my incoming geology and physics
    > students are a bit better than they were 5 years ago.
    >
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "Jay Willingham" <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com>
    > To: "Iain Strachan" <iain.strachan.asa@ntlworld.com>; "ASA"
    <asa@calvin.edu>
    > Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 4:50 PM
    > Subject: Re: the hydrogen economy
    >
    >
    > > I am not so sure.
    > >
    > > The magnetic field experiments and the laser experiments are the only
    ones
    > > being worked to any degree, and those are really starved for funding.
    > >
    > > The Manhattan project comes to mind when someone says more money will
    not
    > > speed up the various experiments.
    > >
    > > Jay Willingham
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: "Iain Strachan" <iain.strachan.asa@ntlworld.com>
    > > To: "Jay Willingham" <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com>; "Glenn Morton"
    > > <glennmorton@entouch.net>; "ASA" <asa@calvin.edu>
    > > Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 11:34 AM
    > > Subject: Re: the hydrogen economy
    > >
    > >
    > > > > Money seems to be the main weak factor in that equation.
    > > > >
    > > > > Jay
    > > >
    > > > I don't think that money is the real issue here. I recently spoke to
    a
    > > > physicist who works on JET (the large fusion experiment close to where
    I
    > > > live) and he gave the timescale as 50 years; 12.5 years to build the
    > next
    > > > experiment (ITER) and 12.5 years to run it, during which they get the
    > > plasma
    > > > parameters right for fusion and then a similar timescale for the
    > proposed
    > > > demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO); 12.5 years to build and 12.5 to
    > run.
    > > > He was not of the opinion that the timescale could be speeded up by
    > > throwing
    > > > yet more money at it. These experiments are major undertakings. For
    > > > example the magnetic induction coils are so vast that they could not
    be
    > > > transported for long distances. Therefore before you can build your
    > > fusion
    > > > reactor you have to build an entire manufacturing plant on site.
    > > >
    > > > However, we must stop the sliding goalpost and not allow things to
    drag
    > > on.
    > > >
    > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------
    > > > Iain .G.D. Strachan
    > > >
    > > > There are 10 types of people in the world ...
    > > > those who understand binary and those who don't.
    > > >
    > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------
    > > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > > From: "Jay Willingham" <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com>
    > > > To: "Glenn Morton" <glennmorton@entouch.net>; "ASA" <asa@calvin.edu>
    > > > Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 3:21 PM
    > > > Subject: Re: the hydrogen economy
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > > > From: "Glenn Morton" <glennmorton@entouch.net>
    > > > > To: "Jay Willingham" <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com>; "ASA"
    > <asa@calvin.edu>
    > > > > Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2003 8:58 PM
    > > > > Subject: RE: the hydrogen economy
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > >
    > > > > >
    > > > > > >-----Original Message-----
    > > > > > >From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu
    > > [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
    > > > > > >Behalf Of Jay Willingham
    > > > > > >Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2003 5:09 PM
    > > > > > >To: Glenn Morton; ASA
    > > > > > >Subject: Re: the hydrogen economy
    > > > > > >
    > > > > > >
    > > > > > >Hydrogen strikes me as a junk science/green politician's answer.
    > > > > > >
    > > > > > >Where are we in the development of fusion as an energy source?
    > > > > >
    > > > > > Not very far. The only thing constant about fusion energy is that
    > it
    > > is
    > > > > > always 50 years away. We really will need to change that constant.
    > > > > >
    > > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >



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