Nye Labs

Information on Fusion

University of Wisconsin's Fusion Page
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
My Homepage at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Here is a general report that explains the facts about fusion and its effect on the world today. I will have more detailed text later as I am updating.

According to a 1992 report there are approximately 460 nuclear fission plants in some 26 counties that are in operation. The rate of nuclear energy use is rising 3.3-4.2% yearly, with the United States obtaining 20% of its energy from nuclear sources. This increasing rate is due to the turn towards alternative fuels and rising energy demands. Therefore, as the rate of nuclear energy increases in the United States, the rate of fuels use increases to meet the heightened demands. But between these two main sources of energy there are controversies and disadvantages that are difficult to avoid. Fossil fuels and nuclear fission are the main energy resources of the United States' economy, but their existence as a plentiful resource is nearing depletion. Fossil fuels have been involved in some of the more recent debates as their fate of exhaust approaches more quickly than other sources of energy such as, nuclear fission. At the current consumption rate of fossil fuels, the resources that are known are estimated to run out in 35-50 years. But if more resources are discovered, the environmental impacts would be tremendous; impacts, such as, acid rain, ozone depletion, and health problems. The environment may not be able to hold through the expected out look of the present availability fossil fuels, it may eventually be "choked to death." While nuclear fission fuel is not likely to run out for another hundred years, there are many severe consequences that come with investing in its type of energy, namely nuclear war and radiation. The byproducts of nuclear fission provided the main components in building nuclear weapons, as a result they need to be guard continually against theft. The second biggest risk is the release of radiation that could effect the environment and people. The most serious of these incidents happened in Chernobyl on April 26, 1986 in Russia, where radiation contaminated over 130,000 square kilometers. To satisfy the energy needs of the future and prevent the problems of current fuel resources, research on a renewable energy source that has supported earth since the beginning of life has become more intensive. It is the same energy that fuels the sun, nuclear fusion. Fusion is the energy source that will take the world's society into the future and fore fill its energy needs for hundreds of years. What is fusion ? Fusion is the process of light atoms, primarily hydrogen isotopes, fusing together to create larger atoms, and giving off energy in the process. It is the same process that the sun operates by. The sun is essentially a huge ball of ionized hydrogen (Plasma, the fourth state of matter) that is fusing together and forming helium and giving off the energy that allows life on this planet to exist. Scientists have been trying to duplicate this energy source since the 1950's, for the benefits that it provides and to supply the growing energy demands safely and more efficiently. From the research that has already been done the predicted outlook is promising and is gaining scientific and governmental support for further research. The advantages of fusion over fossil fuels and nuclear fission are numerous. The development in fusion and the eventual evolution in to a commercial industry will yield four major benefits that will capitalize on the disadvantages of fossil and fission fuels; unlimited fuel source, nearly pollution free, greater energy results, and economically beneficial. Currently, the "break even" point, the sustainment of fusion has not yet been reached and is still being research. But within the next 35-40 years, scientists are anticipating to reach an effective way to sustain fusion and develop it into a commercial energy source. The fuel used for the process of fusion is an inexhaustible resource. It is done with a combination of hydrogen isotopes called tritium and deuterium. These isotopes are available by the tens of millions in the water that we now drink, the same that covers the surface of our earth. It is a clean resource that does not involve any types of strip mining, drilling, and handling of radioactive materials. It is an easy and efficient source that is capable of providing and benefiting society. The impacts between the environment and fossil fuels has been an on going problem, and currently the storing of nuclear fission waste byproducts has also been added to the list. Billions of tons of toxic gases are let off into the atmosphere each day by fossil fuels. Some of the main environmental hazards from burning fossil fuels are, sulfuric acid (acid rain), Carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas and depletes ozone), and nitric oxide (contributor to smog and depletes ozone). Fuels and other radioactive wastes from nuclear fission plants need to be replaced every two years, and the options of storing these products becomes more and more slim. The possible release of radiation and explosions from these sources has severe consequences to the environment and the inhabitants of it. More money is needed to deal with these wastes each year as their concentrations get worse in the environment. The depleting ozone and greenhouse gases are "choking" the planet and even with the efficiencies that combustion processes now work at, the benefits still do not out-weigh the disadvantages. The byproducts of fusion are considerably less than that of fission and fossil fuels and does not create the problems that are apparent with the current fuels. Once fusion is developed effectively, the fuel can be adapted to eliminate radioactive byproducts completely. Currently under the research and the information that is now known the byproducts of fusion are estimated at one cubic meter of radioactive waste per year. These byproducts are produced with the absence of greenhouse and ozone depleting gases and are considerably less radioactive compared to its "sister" fusion. The radiation with in the byproducts of fusion are calculated at much lower half lives, within 2 or 3 decades, compared to the 10,000 years or more that are needed for fission. The energy out put of fusion verses the out put of fossil fuels is extraordinary. Fusion produces a million times more energy per one unit of fuel to one unit of fossil fuel. It is an extremely dense energy source and exceeds other forms of resizable energy, such as, solar power and wind power. Solar and wind power depend greatly on geographic location and weather conditions and the density of their energies is not sufficient enough to sustain the growing demands. Nuclear fission is the only other energy source that compares in the quantity of energy produced with fusion, but its resources are scheduled to run out in approximately 50-100 years unless there is a more efficient process developed. With the rates at which fossils fuels are being used up and the proportionally rising costs, fusion power will become economically competitive with the current fuel prices. Within the next 35 years fusion is expected to develop into a commercial industry, the new fuel option will hopefully decrease the prices in energy production while increasing productivity. Together with the unlimited source of fuel, the odds become more in favor of economical advantages and benefits for the production of fusion energy. Solar and wind power are again out of contention because of the high demands and with geographical and weather conditions. Space is becoming too valuable for sacrificing hundreds of anchors for solar and wind production. With all of the hype and problems that have developed with nuclear fission, a bad name has been given to the name nuclear and thus the related questions attached, nuclear waste and nuclear weapons. What about nuclear waste? Presently, many of the countries including the United States have regulations regarding the storing nuclear waste. The United States only allows temporary storage, while deals need to be made with European countries to allow any type of permanent storage. All of these problems can be solved with out much effort at all and will soon hopefully become non existence. Fossil fuel plants consume 9000 tons of coal a day and as a result produce greenhouse and acid rain contributing gases. Fission plants contribute spent fuels rods and countless radioactive byproducts that need to be stored safely. In contrast, a fusion reactor will use 1-3lbs of hydrogen isotopes and yield approximately one cubic meter of radioactive byproducts. Scientists are currently doing research on other combinations of hydrogen sources that will only yield the inert gas of helium, eliminating waste altogether. Nuclear fission produces materials that have never existed since its development as an energy source, the most important of these materials is plutonium. Plutonium is the main component in the production of nuclear bombs, and thus presents itself as a dangerous threat to society. Fusion, however, produces no byproducts that have any nuclear weapon properties and eliminates the need for security and the threat of another nuclear war. Possibly the largest draw back to the development of fusion is that it is still in the developmental stages and is not expected to become and commercial industry for another 35 years. Scientists are using their theories to anticipate the results of fusion, but half of these have neither been proven correct nor false. With still another 35 years until the expected "break even" point there needs to be an energy source that support the demand in-between that time. Will fossil fuels and other alternative sources of energy be able to sustain the demand through those 35 years? Energy has always been one of the top priorities of society and with the current upcoming crisis of the depletion of fossil fuels it has brought itself to the immediate surface. In addition optional sources of energy other than fossil fuels are dwindling and the support of fusion research and the development of fusion will become critical tool to the push into the future. It is one of the only realistic options that are left and that is capable of constructing a new energy foundation for our society

To find out more or to ask me any questions on on why in the world that I am doing something like this, contact me on my homepage at the above link.

Email: jnye@students.wisc.edu