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"The future of energy"/ Can the world be supplied with energy from the fusion of atoms?

2022-12-15 18:04:50Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA SUSHMITHA RAMAKRISHNAN
"The future of energy"/ Can the world be supplied with energy from the
International research project ITER - Nuclear Fusion Reactor

With the energy created by the fusion of atoms, environmentally friendly energy can be produced. But the amount of energy is insufficient. After decades of studies in the USA, an important success has now been achieved.

The US State Department announced the achievement of a major breakthrough in atomic fusion technology. Scientists of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the plant for the fusion of laser beams of atoms, in the Californian laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, have managed to produce energy in the laboratory with the help of the fusion of atoms.

"This is a significant achievement for the researchers and collaborators of the National Ignition Facility, who have dedicated their careers to the fusion of atoms, and this success will surely be followed by other discoveries," said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "Simply put, this is one of the most impressive scientific achievements of the 21st century."

For decades, scientists have spent more energy on experimental nuclear fusion reactors than they have gained new energy from the entire process overall. These losses have made atom splitting rather than fusion the standard process for producing unlimited and environmentally friendly energy, although this process is associated with health and safety risks.

On December 5, 2022, NIF scientists conducted, for the first time in history, the controlled experiment in which more energy is gained from the fusion of atoms than is spent to get there. In this way, researchers of large-scale energy production have taken an important step towards achieving their goal.

"The future of energy"

Anyone who works in the atomic energy sector knows for sure that: The production of electricity with the help of the fusion of atoms is 30 years away, this was true for researchers both ten years ago and today. Despite the complexity of this technology, those who work with it are very convinced that the effort is worth it.

But why? The fusion of atoms has greater energy potential than all other known energy sources. It can produce four million times more energy than the energy produced by chemical reactions such as burning coal, oil or gas, and four times more energy than the energy produced by splitting atoms, the process currently used in all the atomic power plants of the world.

Atomic fusion, discovered at the end of the 20th century, is seen by many political decision-makers, especially in Europe, as the energy of the future.

But is atomic fusion really a "green" alternative to our current methods and how far have we managed to go in producing electricity with this method?

Like "burning firewood"

To answer this question, the international thermonuclear reactor, ITER, a large joint project of nuclear experts from 35 countries, offers opportunities to visit.

"The future of energy"/ Can the world be supplied with energy from the

ITER is located a few hours away from the southern coast of France, in the middle of an idyllic landscape. The project territory is full of metal halls, workshops and equipment. Researchers, technicians, and technicians roam the grounds in hard hats, rubber boots, and neon-colored vests.

In the midst of this industrial landscape, Pietro Barabashi, Director General of ITER, says that the future of fusion energy is very promising. He compares the production of energy from atomic fusion to burning firewood. "In the beginning, the fire is lit that heats the wood and sometimes a chemical reaction starts. This reaction is enough to burn the rest of the wood."

Energy gain from atomic fusion

Atoms consist of a nucleus (with protons and neutrons) and electrons. During nuclear fusion two atoms fuse to produce one atom through the collision of their nuclei. Fusion produces a lot of energy, and scientists want to turn this energy into electricity. This energy will one day illuminate our homes.

From a technical point of view we already use energy from flying neutrons of atomic power plants. Why don't we stay here but ask for more?

Researchers in Great Britain in February 2022 announced a record energy from nuclear fusion. This image shows the plasma well inside the nuclear fusion plant JET (Joint European Tours)

Melting in the face of separation

Unlike the fusion of atoms, during fission two light atoms do not fuse with each other, but a heavy atom splits into two or more atoms. All the world's nuclear power plants use fission reactors to produce electricity.

France, where ITER is located, produces 70 percent of its energy from the fission of atoms. In most countries of the world, the fission of atoms is not a satisfactory source of energy because the public fears harmful radiation, a fear that is fueled by incidents such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Fukushima meltdown, and the partial meltdown at the nuclear power plant. American, "Three Mile Island".

The main difference between splitting atoms and fusing them is in the radioactivity of the fuel produced during the two processes, explains ITER employee Akko Maas. He has been part of the team since ITEL started research.

"During the splitting of the atom, both the uranium used and the platinum produced are radioactive. Even when the energy is taken from them, the radioactive material remains. "Of the two raw materials that are seen as the most effective for the energy produced by the fusion of atoms, deuterium is not radioactive, while tritium is. However, the radiation is relatively weak and short-lived.

"If the materials are chosen correctly, the radioactivity created by fusing atoms, even if industrial production takes place, can be limited to 100 to 200 years, which is much less than the 40,000 years we observe in fission," says Maas. .

The benefit of "green"

Proponents of atomic energy claim not only that this energy is very efficient, but also that it greatly reduces our dependence on fossil-based fuels. Atomic energy itself is seen as another way to produce energy, apart from that produced with fossil-based fuels, because during its production, carbon dioxide is not produced, but helium is produced as a secondary product, a non-poisonous gas that does not cause reactions.

In addition, deuterium is found in large quantities in seawater, and researchers are looking to produce tritium locally, with the help of lithium.

Renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy cannot cover the world's energy needs. Nuclear fusion, if successful, can produce more energy than is needed. It all sounds nice, but it has been an unattainable dream so far. In order for atomic fusion to become a reality, technological progress in plasma physics must be achieved. "Technically, it is difficult to achieve an atomic fusion reaction that is sustainable and stable," says Barabashi.

"The future of energy"/ Can the world be supplied with energy from the
Pietro Barabaschi, director general of ITER

The plasma "extinguishes"

The Sun's radiation and the warmth we feel on Earth are the result of an atomic fusion reaction. This process takes place in the core of the Sun under high temperatures and great pressure. The challenge is to reproduce these processes that take place in the heart of the Sun, but without the pressure that is created by the gravitational force of the great mass of the Sun.

To achieve atomic fusion on Earth, the gas must be heated to very high temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius, which is ten times the temperature of the Sun's core. When this point is reached, the gas has turned into plasma, which is a million times lighter than the air we breathe.

Fusion researchers have found that producing a plasma by heating a mixture of deuterium and tritium is the simplest way to create an environment where fusion of atoms can take place and energy can be produced.

The plasma used by ITER for atomic fusion experiments is kept in a facility called a Tokamak, confined by a strong magnetic field. Under these extreme conditions the plasma particles rapidly collide producing heat. But paradoxically, when temperatures rise, the collision level falls and with it the heating effect. "So it's plasma that after a certain moment goes out," says Barabashi.

Let's go back to the firewood analogy: It's like not knowing how to keep the fire going to keep the "burning plasma" stable. This is the biggest challenge facing atom fusion experiments around the world.

"The future of energy"/ Can the world be supplied with energy from the
Cross-section of the nuclear fusion reactor from the ITER project

Safety during melting

What is a curse for someone, can be a blessing for someone else. The "quenching" of the plasma when the conditions are unfavorable also means that the reaction stops when there is a lack of stability. This makes fusing atoms safer than splitting atoms, experts say.

A nuclear meltdown like that of Fukushima is impossible to happen, says Gilles Perrier, director of the safety and quality sector at ITER. In a fission reactor we have the radioactive core, which must be cooled in case the reactor is shut down.

"During the splitting of atoms, the risks of incidents are much greater. During fusion the atoms are very small,” says Perrier. In his opinion, the safety of a nuclear fusion plant consists of three parts: the inclusion of plasma, the reduction of radiation and the avoidance of tritium contamination. The plasma is kept in a vacuum container. "Even in the worst case, if the plasma comes out, the consequences do not spread beyond the place where it happened," he says.

From experiment to electricity

So far, fusion researchers have produced a maximum of 54 megajoules of energy in five seconds. This is equivalent to the current needed to keep a light bulb on for two consecutive months. The challenge that researchers now face is how to produce electricity in large quantities.

Barabashi says that the transition from the atom fusion experiment to the reactor for energy production is like the transition from burning wood to a coal-fired power plant. Although the challenge is great, he is optimistic that the experimental ITER reactor will become operational by the end of the decade and will contribute to the establishment of a demonstration plant within the next 30 years.

After all the technology of fusion of atoms needs time, but according to some scientists we don't have time. Fusion energy cannot solve this winter's energy crisis, and it will not contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the near future.

In his book "The Fairy Tale of Nuclear Fusion", nuclear scientist LJ Reinders says that nuclear fusion energy will arrive late to solve our acute climate problems. And Barbashi is of the opinion that investments in the fusion of atoms are not made to cover today's energy needs, but those of the second half of our century. / DW

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