eleven months ago we were heralded with this triumph
(after 20 years of preparation, I suspect they may be embarrassed about how many euros were spent to advertise the numbers):
World's Largest Fusion Reactor is About to Switch On
http://gizmodo.com/worlds-most-insane-fusion-reactor-is-about-to-switch-on-1741199892
It took 19 full years to build W7-X. By the end of the month, approval to turn the reactor on is expected to come from Germany’s nuclear regulators.
and after several experimental shots over a three month period the W7-X will be out of service again for a year and a half to install new tiles for next set of experiments, it
should be up again in mid 2017.....
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/wendelstein-stellarator-begins-upgrades-after-fusion-success/...“After exact measurement of the inside wall we therefore compare the wall dimensions with the tile measurements by a numerical method and modify, where necessary, the tiles with a computer-controlled milling cutter”, explained Mathias Müller from IPP’s Technical Services.The intricate nature of the upgrades means they won’t be completed until mid-2017. W7-X should then be ready for plasma pulses of eight megawatts lasting ten seconds. If everything goes to plan, the graphite tiles will eventually be replaced with carbon-fibre-reinforced components that are also water-cooled. Over the course of the next four years, the stellarator will build towards heating powers of 10 megawatts, and continuous plasma firings of around 30 minutes. If achieved, this would mark a major leap forward in the development of commercially viable fusion energy....I can hardly wait for the "too cheap to meter" chorus,...