My dad works on this project as a parts designer and he sent me the link to this. I must say that now I've seen this, I understand what he's always talking about better.
The fusion reaction will last billionths of a second, however, we have not begun those experiments. Currently NIF is conducting experiments to prepare for the ignition campaign, which will begin in late summer, early fall of 2010.
@RoberTastic NIF uses an optical switch called a plasma electrode Pockels cell (PEPC). Developed at LLNL, a Pockels cell rotates the polarization of a beam when voltage is applied across an electro-optic crystal. Depending on the voltage, the Pockels cell either allows light to pass through or to reflect off a polarizer, creating an optical switch. In the NIF beamline, the PEPC allows the laser pulse to make four passes through the main amplifier, building up its energy with each pass.
this is fantastic and I pray that fusion becomes a viable form of mass energy production. hopefully this will decrease worldwide violence. this is fantastic. i wish i worked there, of course, i also wish the paycheck was as massive as the potential power output.
@grogtgs We have a technical document online, but TH-cam won't allow me to reply in this box with an actual URL. So do a Web search for: "national ignition facility" "title I design" ICF "quarterly report" and select the second listing. It's on page 96, in a box entitled "Why 192 Beams?"
@fermi2 Numerous safety systems have been incorporated into NIF to assure that all experiments can be safely carried out. The small size of the fusion target, and the fact that the fuel is expended in just a few trillionths of a second, insures against a runaway chain reaction or "meltdown". While the neutrons, X-rays and gamma rays generated in a shot can be harmful if not properly controlled, two-meter-thick concrete walls and doors encase the target bay in a protective shield.
Just learned a little about this on the the Science Channel, this video was a little more enlightening though, checked more about it out on Wikipedia and I'm glad to have learned they plan on finally trying to test ignition by 2010; though big science projects like this or the LHC can have big delays, but I'm stoked to hear about whether this technology will be successful, 'cause it'll be big news for the world if it works like it's supposed to.
@EuroSon99 LMJ is scheduled to begin experiments in the middle of the next decade. NIF is running experiments now. There are other differences as well, including the number of beamlines and layout.
So how do you keep fusion reaction going once they finally figure out how to ignite that small capsule? You have to hit other targets? Perhaps this initial energy release ignites surrounding fusion fuel?
@Damaruth We have a technical document online, but TH-cam won't allow me to reply in this box with an actual URL. So do a Web search for: "national ignition facility" "title I design" ICF "quarterly report" and select the second listing. It's on page 96, in a box entitled "Why 192 Beams?"
hi how are the beams bounced back and forth through the amplifiers? Are they simply mirrors? Also is the final exit exit from the power amplifier a mechanical process, like shutters opening?
When UV rays strike the gold surface it creates Xrays. It is in that shape so there can be a close-to-uniform surface of Xrays striking the center target. If the laser beams were to directly strike the center target it wouldn't likely be uniform enough of compression.
It's also a shame how the video and wikipedia article on NIF miss the freaking point. All that effort into talking about how they create fusion and no effort on how to turn that back into usable electricity.
@fermi2 i used to work on a nuclear reactor, and most are very very safe. the problem is humans not following procedure, which is the primary cause of all nuclear power plant accidents, and it wasnt erroneous, it was blatant disregard for procedures, like lighting the gas plume on fire when u are gassing up your car, not like answering ur cellhpone while gassing up your car.
Hello, thank you an awesome vid! Can you please explain the energy extraction process? I mean I am confused - yes you can create a small sun with insane temperature - but where is the heat exchange?
there is a bbc documentary out about this institute , i think it was Horizon, making a star on earth. it explains in great detail about all lazer ignition facilitys.
@scorpion8588 I have no idea, sorry. But do you know anything about laser amplifiers? To my surprise I just don't understand how they work. (found optical amplifiers on wikipedia, couldn't post link)
@EuroSon99 Many, many people have said that the NIF was unsuitable for any such application of maintaining our nuclear arsenal, or of providing data useful for testing new designs for nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) makes it very difficult for ANY program to directly or indirectly provide useful data that could possibly be used to benefit such research. HOWEVER, whispering that the NIF COULD be used for it secured funding that would have otherwise been denied for it.
@EuroSon99 According to the LMJ website: "Les premières expériences sont prévues au milieu de la prochaine décennie. The first experiments are scheduled in the middle of next decade."
Another interesting feature of NIF is the study of the thermodynamic equation of state of matter at very high energy density. e.g. At sufficiently high pressure, theory predicts a metallic form of hydrogen. Yes. Metallic Hydrogen! NIF energy densities are in the ballpark needed, if I am reading the NIF spec. sheet correctly. A nice pure science result from NIF if they can do it. Some astrophysics guys invoke metallic hydrogen as an explanation of Jupiter's high magnetic field.
It seems the best hope for super clean and unlimited energy. May it succeed...The planet needs it badly...as our energy and global warming crisis is real...and needs to be addressed boldly. Best of luck to all involved.....This includes ourselves...the non-scientists.
How do the laser amplifiers work? What is the laser glass made of? How do the laser beams absorb the energy from the glass? Can the laser amplifiers amplify wavelengths other than infrared?
i watched the whole thing. i came to the conclusion that i know nothing, except i got the same effect when i was 9 with a tin can and a couple of firecrackers! if you try my experiment, don't forget to run like hell after you light the fuse
This technology could also be used for military applications in the near future. It wouldn't be very effective on land, but being shot from somewhere above the atmosphere, it could be deadly.
@utubmania2009 There is only a tiny amount of hydrogen fuel inside the target capsule, which is the size of a BB. Once the fuel is exhausted, the fusion process ends. In a star like our Sun, the amount of fuel is huge, so the fusion continues for millions or billions of years. That cannot happen at NIF.
Yes the laser does work. NIF is currently conducting experiments leading up to fusion experimentation. Our fusion experiments will begin in late summer or early fall of 2010.
Fusion is our future let us embrace her and use her wiselyWhat compact fusion reactors we can reach the stars in the stars Taurus how to reach them by shining on us there may be other forms of energy in the future but right now fusion Takes to Star Trek the next generation
Fusion reactions are violent and highly exothermic. NIF is not intended for civilian electricity production. Plenty of the people working on the project are probably interested in that aspect, but NIF seems pretty impractical as anything else besides a proof of concept for a nuclear bomb you can develop without violating the NPT. There's nothing wrong with controlled fission and solar power, which is really fusion power in its own right anyways.
No se pero a mi me parece que en vez de hacer que esas cosas, se consuman entre si desde su núcleo como que no pega porque no mejor hacer que giren entre si y el resultado seria la complemenntacion de cada partícula una con la otra, trabajando conjuntamente y el resultado de lo que se vería por fuera debería ser la fusión o armonía de una partícula con la otra siempre hemos dicho que una estrella es solo una esfera girando a gran velocidad porque no tratar de usar eso no se es solo una idea.
And why the giant energy of laser beam is not used to produce electricity with photovoltaic cells? This is light energy, terawats light energy and they don't use to convert her to power.
niks1na 3 years later so hopefully you found your answer but that light came from electricity. Even if you had 100% efficient solar could only get back what you put in. Of course no panel is 100% efficient so you lose energy.
Most solar panels contain considerable levels of Lead and/or Cadmium, both are very toxic. This, coupled with the fact that the panels only have a 10-20 year life expectancy means it won't be too long before you are generating massive amounts of toxic waste.
@SuperVerdone :-) 2 millimeter ball containing frozen hydrogen gas cannot blown whole planet. Regarding to Mayan calendar. It would be special great to hear end of the oil era in 2012 by success of the NIF mission. But I tend to believe that NIF will fail. And civilization will start to decline, lifestyle, energy consumption, etc...
@utubmania2009 We use fusion in our biggest bombs and none of them come close to "blowing up the world" this is safe and by the way the only way to learn is to do it ourselves
Last I heard they were having problems with the fuel not maintaining a perfect spherical shape during ignition and basically getting squeezing out by the laser's pressure.
The Fusion fight has been going on for some 60 years. They (The scientists) keep on saying well have fusion in the next decade or so but never happens and some people lost there peer's respect of them just so they could fake everyone into thinking that they had got fusion to sustain burn. I hope this goes better than what has happened in the past.
I'm glad that you found the video useful. NIF is really a terrific project and you can be proud that your dad is working on it.
My dad works on this project as a parts designer and he sent me the link to this. I must say that now I've seen this, I understand what he's always talking about better.
The fusion reaction will last billionths of a second, however, we have not begun those experiments. Currently NIF is conducting experiments to prepare for the ignition campaign, which will begin in late summer, early fall of 2010.
You can see the upper half of the target chamber in Star Trek Into Darkness, where it serves as the exterior of the Enterprise's warp core.
@RoberTastic NIF uses an optical switch called a plasma electrode Pockels cell (PEPC). Developed at LLNL, a Pockels cell rotates the polarization of a beam when voltage is applied across an electro-optic crystal. Depending on the voltage, the Pockels cell either allows light to pass through or to reflect off a polarizer, creating an optical switch. In the NIF beamline, the PEPC allows the laser pulse to make four passes through the main amplifier, building up its energy with each pass.
I'm retired. butt my Son (Jay) still working with it. You have to see it to understand how big it is
this is awesome
Humanity never ceases to amaze me.
this is fantastic and I pray that fusion becomes a viable form of mass energy production. hopefully this will decrease worldwide violence. this is fantastic. i wish i worked there, of course, i also wish the paycheck was as massive as the potential power output.
@grogtgs
We have a technical document online, but TH-cam won't allow me to reply in this box with an actual URL. So do a Web search for: "national ignition facility" "title I design" ICF "quarterly report" and select the second listing. It's on page 96, in a box entitled "Why 192 Beams?"
@fermi2
Numerous safety systems have been incorporated into NIF to assure that all experiments can be safely carried out. The small size of the fusion target, and the fact that the fuel is expended in just a few trillionths of a second, insures against a runaway chain reaction or "meltdown". While the neutrons, X-rays and gamma rays generated in a shot can be harmful if not properly controlled, two-meter-thick concrete walls and doors encase the target bay in a protective shield.
Just learned a little about this on the the Science Channel, this video was a little more enlightening though, checked more about it out on Wikipedia and I'm glad to have learned they plan on finally trying to test ignition by 2010; though big science projects like this or the LHC can have big delays, but I'm stoked to hear about whether this technology will be successful, 'cause it'll be big news for the world if it works like it's supposed to.
@EuroSon99 LMJ is scheduled to begin experiments in the middle of the next decade. NIF is running experiments now. There are other differences as well, including the number of beamlines and layout.
You can view the "Horizon" segment about NIF by clicking the link located to the right of this comment, in the "More from: LivermoreLab" section.
In France is a big project underway. It's called ITER.
NIF and ITER have are verydiffrent proect but both focus on fusion energy.
So it's been 7 years...How's it going with this?
I liked this video a lot, regardless of its age! I am loyal to my country, and I know that fusion takes some work.
How exactly does the conversion from infrared to ultraviolet light occur?
So how do you keep fusion reaction going once they finally figure out how to ignite that small capsule? You have to hit other targets? Perhaps this initial energy release ignites surrounding fusion fuel?
@Damaruth
We have a technical document online, but TH-cam won't allow me to reply in this box with an actual URL. So do a Web search for: "national ignition facility" "title I design" ICF "quarterly report" and select the second listing. It's on page 96, in a box entitled "Why 192 Beams?"
hi how are the beams bounced back and forth through the amplifiers? Are they simply mirrors? Also is the final exit exit from the power amplifier a mechanical process, like shutters opening?
I got to tour NIF in 2009, and have a picture with my family in front of the Test Chamber ^.^ Twas awesome!
When UV rays strike the gold surface it creates Xrays. It is in that shape so there can be a close-to-uniform surface of Xrays striking the center target. If the laser beams were to directly strike the center target it wouldn't likely be uniform enough of compression.
Will be interesting to see in the next few years which type of fusion is the successor, this - or tokamak reactor designs.
Awesome! So close to fusion . . so very close.
This project at the Lawrence Livermore laboratory is our greatest hope for free and save power and ability to reach the stars and unlimited energy
@LivermoreLab If fusion is achieved, what plans are being made to capture this burst of energy?
It's also a shame how the video and wikipedia article on NIF miss the freaking point. All that effort into talking about how they create fusion and no effort on how to turn that back into usable electricity.
Somebody must think this will work or at least provide usefull information that will eventually work. An impressive project!
@fermi2 i used to work on a nuclear reactor, and most are very very safe. the problem is humans not following procedure, which is the primary cause of all nuclear power plant accidents, and it wasnt erroneous, it was blatant disregard for procedures, like lighting the gas plume on fire when u are gassing up your car, not like answering ur cellhpone while gassing up your car.
@Erniz2
NIF expects to begin fusion ignition experiments in the latter part of 2010. Stay tuned!
Hello, thank you an awesome vid!
Can you please explain the energy extraction process? I mean I am confused - yes you can create a small sun with insane temperature - but where is the heat exchange?
i dont know either
it would melt anything that tries to contain it with out some massive heat sinks right out of star wars from starkiller base
there is a bbc documentary out about this institute , i think it was Horizon, making a star on earth. it explains in great detail about all lazer ignition facilitys.
Roll over LHC, this is our new doomsday weapon.
It sound all very interesting. I'm going to have to look up more about it.
AWSOME THATS BRILLIANT GREAT JOB NIF
As we grew an hour early age we look to the stars and see that the stars are giving us the power to reach them
can someone quickly brief me how is IR converted to UV? some kind of wavelength amplifier? what is in that thing? thx Jan
How much energy is being put into this? If This puts out more energy than is put in, isn't that defying our understanding of physics?
@scorpion8588 I have no idea, sorry. But do you know anything about laser amplifiers?
To my surprise I just don't understand how they work. (found optical amplifiers on wikipedia, couldn't post link)
Isn't there a problem with not having perfect reflectivity on the "mirrors"?
@EuroSon99 Many, many people have said that the NIF was unsuitable for any such application of maintaining our nuclear arsenal, or of providing data useful for testing new designs for nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) makes it very difficult for ANY program to directly or indirectly provide useful data that could possibly be used to benefit such research.
HOWEVER, whispering that the NIF COULD be used for it secured funding that would have otherwise been denied for it.
What's the ratio of energy put into the reaction to energy received from the reaction?
Awesome news today NIF! :)
@EuroSon99 According to the LMJ website:
"Les premières expériences sont prévues au milieu de la prochaine décennie. The first experiments are scheduled in the middle of next decade."
Another interesting feature of NIF is the study of the thermodynamic equation of state of matter at very high energy density. e.g. At sufficiently high pressure, theory predicts a metallic form of hydrogen. Yes. Metallic Hydrogen! NIF energy densities are in the ballpark needed, if I am reading the NIF spec. sheet correctly. A nice pure science result from NIF if they can do it. Some astrophysics guys invoke metallic hydrogen as an explanation of Jupiter's high magnetic field.
Dont look into the light...!!! just wondering if its possable to do this with a normal laser
Is there a solid date for the test? I thought I read August 2010 but dates get tweeked. Update?
.....But does the Amplifier go to 11?
Once you get the fusion reaction how do you convert this energy into electricity?
It seems the best hope for super clean and unlimited energy. May it succeed...The planet needs it badly...as our energy and global warming crisis is real...and needs to be addressed boldly.
Best of luck to all involved.....This includes ourselves...the non-scientists.
@utubmania2009 and how do you propose to learn then?
How do the laser amplifiers work? What is the laser glass made of? How do the laser beams absorb the energy from the glass? Can the laser amplifiers amplify wavelengths other than infrared?
why 192 lasers? why not 200? or 175?
hope itll be success as soon as possible so that we can create hyper space ship that will enable us to travel through galaxies faster
i watched the whole thing. i came to the conclusion that i know nothing, except i got the same effect when i was 9 with a tin can and a couple of firecrackers! if you try my experiment, don't forget to run like hell after you light the fuse
+onehung lo
Not the final frontier,But the New beginning
@ColonelDrego agreed, but thankfully its in the tens of thousands now, probably dues to it being posted on sites such as gizmodo and such
when this technology works out it will change everything.
This technology could also be used for military applications in the near future. It wouldn't be very effective on land, but being shot from somewhere above the atmosphere, it could be deadly.
Yeah, just gotta launch a building the size of 3 football fields into orbit. Anyone could do it.
I feel like the sphere that they have this fusion experiment taking place in wont be able to hold all the energy
so, did they ma the shot?
HOW? How is the fusion explosion harnessed? Contained?
dan taylor very powerful electro magnetic fields I believe.
@LivermoreLab thanks man :D will check it out!
@MercenarySlick science is not to be divided geopolitically, please, we are all one people
How does one amplify a ray of light?
The NIF has been around a while now and I hope they find many more creative ways to use such a great device.
?? 2009 Video? when are we going to get this?
My body shivers hearing these great ideas.
@utubmania2009 There is only a tiny amount of hydrogen fuel inside the target capsule, which is the size of a BB. Once the fuel is exhausted, the fusion process ends. In a star like our Sun, the amount of fuel is huge, so the fusion continues for millions or billions of years. That cannot happen at NIF.
Yes the laser does work. NIF is currently conducting experiments leading up to fusion experimentation. Our fusion experiments will begin in late summer or early fall of 2010.
we should combine this with the hadron colider :D where the point of the lasers converge, so do the protons. What would happen then? :D
Looks expensive, I hope it works!
I hope the experiment will successful so we can produce infinite amount of free energy.
They should put this laser in an orbital station and use it for defense like the hammer of dawn lol
Fusion is our future let us embrace her and use her wiselyWhat compact fusion reactors we can reach the stars in the stars Taurus how to reach them by shining on us there may be other forms of energy in the future but right now fusion Takes to Star Trek the next generation
IMMA FIRING MAH LAZOOOOOR!!! WOOOOHAAAAAAAA!!!!
Doc Oc from Spiderman 2 comes to mind here :)
Or a Command and Conquer Ion Cannon...
Fusion reactions are violent and highly exothermic. NIF is not intended for civilian electricity production. Plenty of the people working on the project are probably interested in that aspect, but NIF seems pretty impractical as anything else besides a proof of concept for a nuclear bomb you can develop without violating the NPT. There's nothing wrong with controlled fission and solar power, which is really fusion power in its own right anyways.
Is not about being complicated or no. It's about being cheap or no. There's nothing cheaper than light flashes.
They tried 191 beams but this was not enough
im hoping this will be the event to define this century.. good luck all you boffins lets hope we can get some unlimited energy and save the world
No se pero a mi me parece que en vez de hacer que esas cosas, se consuman entre si desde su núcleo como que no pega porque no mejor hacer que giren entre si y el resultado seria la complemenntacion de cada partícula una con la otra, trabajando conjuntamente y el resultado de lo que se vería por fuera debería ser la fusión o armonía de una partícula con la otra siempre hemos dicho que una estrella es solo una esfera girando a gran velocidad porque no tratar de usar eso no se es solo una idea.
look him up national ignition facility jay ayers
And why the giant energy of laser beam is not used to produce electricity with photovoltaic cells? This is light energy, terawats light energy and they don't use to convert her to power.
niks1na 3 years later so hopefully you found your answer but that light came from electricity. Even if you had 100% efficient solar could only get back what you put in. Of course no panel is 100% efficient so you lose energy.
If I worked there they would hate me, i mean the amount dr.Evil, "FIRE ZEE LASER" jokes i would make, oh man.
Oh so thats how the death star works.
is that new Spiderman 2 trailer?
Most solar panels contain considerable levels of Lead and/or Cadmium, both are very toxic. This, coupled with the fact that the panels only have a 10-20 year life expectancy means it won't be too long before you are generating massive amounts of toxic waste.
amen
@SuperVerdone
:-)
2 millimeter ball containing frozen hydrogen gas cannot blown whole planet.
Regarding to Mayan calendar. It would be special great to hear end of the oil era in 2012 by success of the NIF mission.
But I tend to believe that NIF will fail. And civilization will start to decline, lifestyle, energy consumption, etc...
Just had a nerdgasm.
what if a rat is crawling through the end point of the laser tunnel?
@utubmania2009 We use fusion in our biggest bombs and none of them come close to "blowing up the world" this is safe and by the way the only way to learn is to do it ourselves
no sense in worrying about capturing the energy if they haven't achieved fusion yet
holy crap!!!
By using the heat produced to boil water to spin turbines.
it's eight years later, what has happened?
Last I heard they were having problems with the fuel not maintaining a perfect spherical shape during ignition and basically getting squeezing out by the laser's pressure.
....rossi doesn't even call it cold fusion
he calls it LENR
low energy nuclear reaction..
and plus
hot fusion is much better and efficient
The Fusion fight has been going on for some 60 years. They (The scientists) keep on saying well have fusion in the next decade or so but never happens and some people lost there peer's respect of them just so they could fake everyone into thinking that they had got fusion to sustain burn. I hope this goes better than what has happened in the past.