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The Fusion Torch is a concept for utilizing the high temperature plasma of a fusion reactor to break apart all solid and gaseous materials and convert them into a few reusable and saleable elements for closing the cycle of use to reuse. It was invented in 1968, by Bernard Eastlund and William Gough while they were program managers of the controlled thermonuclear research program of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The basic concept was to impinge the plasma leaking from such fusion reactors onto solids or liquids, vaporizing, dissociating and ionizing the materials, then separating the elements of the materials into separate bins for collection. Other applications of fusion plasmas, such as generation of UV and optical light and generation of hydrogen fuel were also described in the paper.

"The Fusion Torch-Closing the Cycle from Use to Reuse" USAEC Report Wash 1132, May 15, 1969. http://www.eastlundscience.com/FUSION1969.html

In their paper of 1969 B.J. Eastlund and W.C. Gough defined 3 traps that could hamper the advancement of mankind.

1. Population (food)
2. Entropy (resources, energy, pollution)
3. War (human needs and behavior)

They stated referring to entropy:

"The use of the fusion torch in conjunction with controlled fusion power offers a potential solution to the entropy trap in materials. - i.e. man's exhaustion of nature's stored resources."

In terms of energy needs they estimated the following:

"An "all" electric city of 10,000,000 people, by the year 2000 will need 140,000 megawatts of electrical capacity.^[1] If just 10,000 megawatts were used in a fusion torch then somewhere between 2,700 and 27,000 tons of material could be processed per day."

They speculated that the fusion torch concept would be useful for the separation of uranium from reactor fuel element material.

Sources

• The Fusion Torch - Closing the cycle from use to reuse. By Bernard J. Eastlund and William C. Gough - May 15, 1969 (DoR, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission)
• eastlundscience web site

References