The search for a form of power that is almost completely renewable and its energy output far exceeds the energy required to start and maintain the reaction has been a focus for many years. Energies that are present today that involve burning things to produce electricity, such as coal, produce tons of pollution at a worldwide level. One of the newest energy sources being researched is a nuclear fusion reactor. This type of power generation has the ability to satisfy this search for a sustainable energy source with very little negative effects. The goal is within reach with only the cost of the process preventing it from reaching the average energy consumer.
Fusion is the process in which the union of atomic nuclei form heavier nuclei resulting …show more content…
It is said that if there was to be a fire in the plant that produced the Tritium there would be no need to evacuate the neighboring population as the health risks would be so minimal.
The waste products, like Tritium, that are produced from the fusion process are not high activity/long life radioactive waste which means they can be disposed of safely and not impact either people or the environment. The main product used in the fusion process is Helium, which is inert, and can do little to no damage to the environment. In the part of the building housing the fusion process the main component that could be radioactive would be the reactor itself (CCFE, n.d.). And the reactor components would be safe to reuse or dispose of in 100 years (CCFE, n.d.).
In addition to having little radioactive waste to worry about, the fusion process is designed to be safe for the environment when operating. Reactor meltdowns like were seen at Chernobyl are close to impossible at a fusion reactor station. When the fusion reaction takes place there is almost no chance of the reactor melting down due to the small amounts of fuel that are in the reactor at any time. In fact, it takes less than 4 grams to start the fusion …show more content…
So rather than a complicated series of steps to shut down a reactor, the process as designed, once interrupted, acts as an immediate off switch.
Finally, if the cooling mechanism was to fail, the barriers would not reach the melting point of the materials and thus would not be affected. Another one of the big issues affecting the design and implementation of functioning commercial fusion plants is the need for these ultra-high temperature materials that are able to withstand the normal heat given off by the fusion process and thus would withstand any melting point that would be possible from a fusion reaction or cooling malfunction.
Fusion energy may take a great deal of energy to get the reaction started but once started it will be able to produce much more energy than was put into it. Unfortunately, the energy required to start the whole process is in an experimental stage and is currently higher than the energy being produced. Overall, fusion is not yet close to become a commercially viable energy source as the construction and manufacturing of the required parts is a billion dollar project. But the future is near as the many test sites around the world are showing great steps towards it being a cost effective and clean solution in the near future. All that fusion needs is the
Fusion is the process in which the union of atomic nuclei form heavier nuclei resulting …show more content…
It is said that if there was to be a fire in the plant that produced the Tritium there would be no need to evacuate the neighboring population as the health risks would be so minimal.
The waste products, like Tritium, that are produced from the fusion process are not high activity/long life radioactive waste which means they can be disposed of safely and not impact either people or the environment. The main product used in the fusion process is Helium, which is inert, and can do little to no damage to the environment. In the part of the building housing the fusion process the main component that could be radioactive would be the reactor itself (CCFE, n.d.). And the reactor components would be safe to reuse or dispose of in 100 years (CCFE, n.d.).
In addition to having little radioactive waste to worry about, the fusion process is designed to be safe for the environment when operating. Reactor meltdowns like were seen at Chernobyl are close to impossible at a fusion reactor station. When the fusion reaction takes place there is almost no chance of the reactor melting down due to the small amounts of fuel that are in the reactor at any time. In fact, it takes less than 4 grams to start the fusion …show more content…
So rather than a complicated series of steps to shut down a reactor, the process as designed, once interrupted, acts as an immediate off switch.
Finally, if the cooling mechanism was to fail, the barriers would not reach the melting point of the materials and thus would not be affected. Another one of the big issues affecting the design and implementation of functioning commercial fusion plants is the need for these ultra-high temperature materials that are able to withstand the normal heat given off by the fusion process and thus would withstand any melting point that would be possible from a fusion reaction or cooling malfunction.
Fusion energy may take a great deal of energy to get the reaction started but once started it will be able to produce much more energy than was put into it. Unfortunately, the energy required to start the whole process is in an experimental stage and is currently higher than the energy being produced. Overall, fusion is not yet close to become a commercially viable energy source as the construction and manufacturing of the required parts is a billion dollar project. But the future is near as the many test sites around the world are showing great steps towards it being a cost effective and clean solution in the near future. All that fusion needs is the