Click here to sign up, or log in . A simple theoretical concept to solve the staggeringly difficult problem of maintaining intact electrical transmission lines to produce rapidly repeated thermonuclear explosions for peacetime purposes has been proposed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. The method is meant to advance the day of relatively cheap, clean, fusion-produced energy through machines like Sandia's Z accelerator. The concept was presented informally by Sandia researcher Mark Derzon in late July to researchers in Snowmass, Colo., at the first extended meeting of fusion researchers both inertial and magnetic. There, scientists interested by the concept placed Z pinches on the list for recommended scientific exploration as an energy source.
Further discussions are ongoing.
However, funding to date for Z has been related to its weapons-program usefulness. This may be an opportunity to make a significant contribution to our nation's energy security. The proposed power generation process for inertial fusion resembles the rapid series of explosions that drive a gasoline engine. Instead of gasoline and air interacting chemically, isotopes of hydrogen fuse. Antonio Zamora, manufacturing liaison, provided the cost estimate for the recyclable transmission lines that suggests the concept is feasible.