Episode 123
Ep 123: Dennis Whyte, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy · Titans of Nuclear
November 20, 20181h 13m
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Show Notes
In this episode we discuss...
- Dennis' background and personal journey in the nuclear industry
- A deep dive into tokamaks and their innerworkings
- The definition of a plasma
- Why heat and density are crucial to successful fusion and the material challenges involved
- How tritium is extracted from lithium
- Requirements to prevent coolant itself from becoming radioactive
- Design challenges surrounding fusion systems including pumps and their inability to distinguish between helium and unburned fuel
- The physics of magnetism
- Dennis' mission to change the global nuclear industry through his work at MIT to make fusion economically viable