Getting things to fuse is "easy" in the sense that you can do it on the lab bench with a farnsworth hirsch fusor, but that has no hope of ever reaching break-even.
This article doesn't talk about break-even potential at all and yet they jump to potential applications.
>To overcome that barrier requires a sequence of particle collisions. First, an electron accelerator speeds up and slams electrons into a nearby target made of tungsten. The collision between beam and target creates high-energy photons, just like in a conventional X-ray machine. The photons are focused and directed into the deuteron-loaded erbium or titanium sample.<p>that way of X-ray generation is of very low efficiency. They should have put that deuterium loaded erbium, titanium (or Pt or Pd like in the famous cold fusion experiment) into the Sandia Z-machine. The typical target for the Z is either LiD or frozen D, and i wonder why they have never tried more heavy metals, especially Pt or Pd, loaded with D given how heavy nuclei is supposed to help in the fusion based on the cold fusion effects and which this NASA research seems to hint at too:<p>>But the lattice helps again. “The electrons in the metal lattice form a screen around the stationary deuteron,” says Benyo. The electrons’ negative charge shields the energetic deuteron from the repulsive effects of the target deuteron’s positive charge until the nuclei are very close, maximizing the amount of energy that can be used to fuse.<p>Honestly, my best bet is that Musk, who needs at least fission or even better fusion for Mars (space is the only business case for any plausible peaceful fusion), would soon start a venture for it. The inertial confinement, either Z-machine style or laser (modern lasers are much more efficient than NIF) is clearly the way to go, especially for space and when you need real result instead of large government sponsored research.
Reading this kind of news makes me very excited but again afraid at the same time, thinking is it again one more case of Fleischmann–Pons defamation in progress. As it sounds very much as saturation of palladium bar with isotopes of hydrogen.
From the article: “What we did was not cold fusion,” says Lawrence Forsley, a senior lead experimental physicist for the project. Cold fusion, the idea that fusion can occur at relatively low energies in room-temperature materials, is viewed with skepticism by the vast majority of physicists. Forsley stresses this is hot fusion, but “We’ve come up with a new way of driving it.”
DO NOT BE MISTAKEN This is the same Pons & Fleischmann Cold Fusion effect. I will not argue semantics but Pons & Fleischmann, and Andrea Rossi are also due credit for researching this phenomenon. it makes sense if you think about it... imagine a 3D metal lattice...only say 8 atoms... you tightly pack as much Hydrogen as possible in the middle of the lattice.... everything is under immense heat and pressure.... spinning like crazy.... you hit it with a jolt. or a hammer.... and everything sorta smashes into each other and explodes. or maybe this is the 'inverse beta decay' / controlled electron capture method.
Is there any reason this couldn't be used for general purpose energy? They work for NASA so perhaps they are just mentioning propulsion to keep their funding.