'..Thankfully, a few privately funded projects in the US and elsewhere are pursuing p–11B and other concepts. Although more difficult from a physics standpoint, those concepts do not appear impossible, and such systems might stand a chance of being sufficient.''..in 1994 a special panel of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) identified three major criteria for fusion power to be practical: attractive economics, regulatory simplicity, and public acceptance. Since it is unlikely that any electrical energy source will excel in all three categories, trade-offs will certainly be needed.
..
..there is hope of satisfying the “necessary” and “sufficient” conditions for fusion power. In light of what has been learned from tokamaks, other plasma-physics research, engineering studies, and the application of the EPRI criteria, moving to a much cleaner fusion reaction would seem appropriate. Of particular interest is the proton and boron-11 reaction, which involves significantly more challenging physics but produces no neutrons directly. The absence of neutrons would largely eliminate the risks due to radioactivity and thereby dramatically enhance economics, regulatory simplicity, and public acceptance. Thankfully, a few privately funded projects in the US and elsewhere are pursuing p–11B and other concepts. Although more difficult from a physics standpoint, those concepts do not appear impossible, and such systems might stand a chance of being sufficient.
The ITER-tokamak approach fails against the EPRI criteria. However, concepts based on different fusion fuels might succeed. An objective engineering review is urgently needed to verify the insufficiencies of ITER-like tokamaks. A dramatic reorganization of fusion research and a better-focused research program could result in power plants that will be sufficient.'
- Robert L. Hirsch,
Necessary and sufficient conditions for practical fusion power, October 2017
ContextUC San Diego Center Energy Research, LPPFusion to collaborate on fusion energy research, October 10, 2017
(Project C - Phase 1, Bazaarmodel - To Heal, Fusion Power) - IEEE Spectrum - LPPFusion Embraces Instability'..tokamak fusion .. it cannot become a practical power system..'(Electric Universe) - SAFIRE - '..to do what has never been done before – build a [miniature] sun on Earth..'