Comment by Yizahi
5 days ago
If I understand correctly, the Top 1 and 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. issue is how to make that plasma do actual work. So far the designs which boast Q>1 or are close enough, all produce plasma in short burst and no one has invented a way to make that burst generate electricity somehow. And tokamak design has clearer path to generating electricity but have problems in reaching stable Q>1 at all. This is all very amateurish understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Series of short bursts, which heat a neutron-absorbing fluid. That part is relatively straightforward.
Helion is an exception, since they have a different fuel which gives them a way to extract electricity directly.