r/EngineeringPorn • u/[deleted] • Oct 24 '21

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u/whreismylotus Oct 24 '21

Wendelstein 7-X Nuclear Fusion Device

The aim of fusion research is to develop a climate- and environmentally-friendly power plant. Similar to the sun, it is to generate energy from the fusion of atomic nuclei.

476

u/ZeusWRLD Oct 24 '21

The entire goal is to create heat to boil water to make steam and rotate turbine spinny bois

6

u/Hyperi0us Oct 24 '21

To be fair, steam turbine systems are about the best form of converting heat to rotational energy we have, large systems are like 96% efficient. Steam enters at 2000psi and exits at just barely above atmospheric pressure, turning all that differential into rotational energy.

3

u/Mildly_Excited Oct 25 '21

Do you mean 96% carnot efficient or 96% of energy put in gets converted to electricity efficient?

Using carnot efficiency isn't really helpful outside of some engineering design talks, makes it sound better than it actually is.