Popular Mechanics: German Wendelstein Fusion Reactor ‘Actually Working’

Moving to the more traditional hot fusion world, there’s an article on the Popular Mechanics website which reports that the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator reactor is actually working according to plan, with a very small error rate.

The article is titled “Germany’s Wildly Complex Fusion Reactor Is Actually Working” and can be accessed here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a24172/fusion-reactor-working/

The main problem with the current model is that, like other hot fusion devices, it is not able to produce more energy than it consumes, and this was apparently understood by the inventors who built this as a proof-of-concept device. However, since this seems to have been a success, the design team can now move on with the job of trying to increase efficiency. If they can make a machine with a COP greater than 1, it would be a huge milestone for the hot fusion field.