Nuclear Fusion
posted 4/12/23 by Leo Rosin
As you might have seen from my last blog post, nuclear fission is a newer type of energy that is used as a clean energy source and could be a solution to fossil fuels. (If you have not seen my past blog post on nuclear fission you might want to check that one out if you are interested in it) But, because of the potential dangers, nuclear fission reactors are not widespread and countries are reluctant to use them. Surprisingly, nuclear fission has a cousin, nuclear fusion. At this point, nuclear fusion and producing energy from it is just theoretical. But, how would this theoretical energy source work? Is it even possible? And if it is possible what would be the potential benefits or drawbacks?
Nuclear fusion was first theorized in 1925 when a British astrophysicist, Arther Eddington, theorized that stars are powered by fusion reactions. A fusion reaction is when two smaller elements are combined to form a larger element, like when hydrogen nuclei combine to form helium, and as a byproduct energy is produced. By 1950 scientists had begun to think about how this process could be used to generate a lot of energy. One of the main problems that have caused fusion energy to remain elusive is that it is very difficult on Earth to duplicate the furnaces that power stars. Then extreme temperatures and pressures are needed to combine hydrogen atoms’ nuclei because hydrogen atoms normally repel. This all has to be done without using more energy than fusion generates.
While these tasks may seem impossible to overcome, scientists have made a lot of progress toward making nuclear fusion a reality. According to Thomas Overton, a science editor for general atomics, “[m]ost of the key physics questions behind fusion have been answered.” In 2010 several countries banded together to build a research facility called ITER. ITER is scheduled to begin testing in 2025 and if successful could pave the way for future nuclear fusion plants that could develop electricity.
But, even if it is possible, would it be worth it? Well, “[a] single gram of the hydrogen isotopes needed for a fusion reaction could generate as much energy as 11 tons (nearly 10 metric tons) of coal.” And even when generating huge amounts of energy, nuclear fusion is not that dangerous. This is because, unlike a conventional nuclear reactor that uses nuclear fission, where uranium atoms are split, in a fusion reactor, radioactive waste would not be produced. Generating fusion energy is not based on a chain reaction so there is no risk of having a nuclear meltdown.
Nuclear fusion is a safe type of energy that can produce much more energy than fossil fuels. It is also a type of green energy and would not contribute to global warming. And although fusion reactors are still out of reach they would be a good alternative to fossil fuels. Next blog post I will compare and contrast Nuclear Fusion and Fission to see which would be the better energy type.