News Highlight
Fusion Energy breakthrough: the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), California, conducted a fusion test.
Key Takeaway
- On December 13, American government authorities made a big deal out of a federal facility reaching a critical milestone in nuclear fusion research.
- By accomplishing this, we move closer to having “zero-carbon abundant fusion energy power our society.“
- In a laser-based fusion experiment, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have gained energy for the first time.
Fusion Energy
- About
- Fusion is the energy that powers the stars.
- The largest fusion reactor in our solar system is our Sun.
- Atoms of hydrogen move incredibly fast in the Sun’s core. One heavier helium atom is created when two light hydrogen atoms combine.
- The reaction releases lots of energy in the form of heat and light.
- We need two kinds of hydrogen to replicate the fusion reaction: deuterium and tritium.
- But because they are both positively charged, they tend to repel one another.
- Since the 1960s, researchers from more than 50 nations have attempted to duplicate it on Earth.
- Why is nuclear fusion so important?
- Nuclear fission generates a significant amount of radioactive waste, which can be hazardous and needs to be stored securely for an extended period.
- Nuclear fusion waste has lower radioactivity and decays significantly more quickly.
- Fossil fuels like gas and oil are not required for nuclear fusion. Additionally, it doesn’t produce greenhouse gases, which trap solar heat and cause climate change.
- Furthermore, it has been referred to as energy production’s “holy grail.”
- How does nuclear fusion work?
- When two atoms of a light element, such as hydrogen, are heated and combined to form a heavier element.
- Such as helium, the nuclear reaction produces massive amounts of energy which can be captured.
- To get over this obstacle, a lot of energy is required.
- In the Sun, this happens thanks to extremely high temperatures of around ten million degrees Celsius and significant pressure.
- More than 100 billion times that of the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Scientists have tried to replicate these conditions on Earth using a variety of different approaches.
- But maintaining the required high temperature and pressure for a long enough period has proven challenging.
Merits of fusion energy
- The fuel it requires is abundant everywhere on the planet, reducing the risk of geopolitical tension.
- And, It is extracted from seawater and the crust of the earth
- Fusion does not produce greenhouse emissions; therefore, we may act responsibly.
- Furthermore, fusion machines are naturally safer, providing little harm to the local community and producing no long-lasting waste.
- The energy produced has the potential to complement renewables by providing “baseload” electricity.
Could nuclear fusion help tackle global warming?
- Firstly, no greenhouse gases are produced by nuclear fusion, which does not rely on fossil fuels like oil or gas and does not contribute to global warming.
- And it is not reliant on suitable weather conditions like solar or wind energy.
- Moreover, lithium and hydrogen, two relatively common elements on Earth, are used.
- Nuclear fusion could play a significant role in helping nations reach their 2050 “net zero” emissions goals.
Conclusion
- The energy they’ve generated in this experiment is tiny – just enough to boil a few kettles. But what it represents is huge.
- The promise of a fusion-powered future is one step closer. But there’s still a long way to go before this becomes a reality.
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Content Source: The Hindu