Nuclear Fusion: The Better Energy Source
The science behind Nuclear Fusion energy and its benefits
Odds are, you’ve probably already heard of Fusion Energy but aren’t sure how it works and are a bit confused about the difference between Fusion and Fission. We have done quite a large amount of research and we believe we have the answers you seek.
Nuclear Fusion is the process of fusing 2 light (as in not heavy) nuclei to create a new single heavy nucleus. You haven’t left yet? Alrighty then, lets get into the details. Keep in mind that Einstein's Mass-Energy Equivalence equation (E = mc²) is very important in understanding how Fusion generates energy. Now, you’re probably wondering how fusing 2 nuclei together creates energy. Warning: It might be a bit confusing until you read the rest of the article. Simply put, the resulting nucleus has less mass than the mass the 2 original nuclei had if their masses were added together. The “lost” mass became energy in accordance with E = mc².
You’re probably thinking to yourself: “How does the result have less than the 2 original?” Now it’s going to get a bit more complex. To understand this we first have to explain the “flip side” of this. Imagine trying to take out a nucleon (proton or neutron) from a nucleus. The energy required for doing so would be immense. However, when the nucleon does come free, the energy that was expended combines with the free nucleon as mass. This is why a free nucleons mass > nucleon mass inside of a nucleus. Reciprocally, when nucleons band together to become a nucleus, they expel some of their mass as energy (known as Binding Energy). You can think of it as the nucleon uses up some of its mass to create energy to bind and it gains mass when it becomes free and sort-of takes the energy that it lost.
“But what about Fission?” is something you’re probably thinking. Yes, Nuclear Fission is the method that is used in nuclear power plants and in our bombs today, but Fusion Energy has the potential to be way better than Fission Energy. Fission Energy is the splitting of a nucleus to generate energy. Similar to Fusion, when the nucleus is spilt, some of the mass of the nucleus is converted into energy. The potential energy creation of Fission took some time to catch on, Einstein himself believed it would never happen. Even Ernest Rutherford (The discoverer of the nucleus) said in 1933:
The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.
However, just a couple years later the world’s first nuclear reactor had been built and by the 1950’s nuclear power stations started supplying energy for industrial and domestic uses.
A trend that has been quite noticeable these days as that of things that are actually better for humanity in the long run already existing out in nature. Such as us using Fission for almost a century and the Sun using Fusion to power itself. The stars are the original users of Nuclear Fusion, we are but imitators of the cosmos. Now, let’s get into the conditions the sun creates for Nuclear Fusion. Just a side note; Plasma is the state of matter the nuclei must be in to do Nuclear Fusion. For nuclei to fuse in the sun, the nuclei have to collide at a temperature that is higher than 10 million ℃. This must be done for nuclei to overcome their electrical repulsion. Nuclei also have to be confined in a small space for there to be a greater chance of the nuclei colliding. The Sun’s extreme pressure caused by it’s massive gravitational force creates these conditions for Nuclear Fusion to occur.
“How do we actually do Fusion?” is something you’re probably thinking. Well first you need to know the isotopes Hydrogen-2 and Hydrogen-3, also known as Deuterium and Tritium. Deuterium has 1 electron, 1 proton and 1 neutron while Tritium has 1 more neutron than Deuterium. The entire premise of Fission and Fusion is to take an original input(s) and turn it into an output which has less mass than the input(s) have. The mass converted into energy will be carried on a neutron. The neutron is a byproduct of fusion, it is the actual “holder” for the energy released. Since Hydrogen has one of the highest nucleon masses and can be fused into Helium, which has way less nucleon mass. It is planned to use Deuterium and Tritium as they are isotopes of Hydrogen that have longer half-lives than Hydrogen’s heavier isotopes. If we were to combine the protons and neutrons of Deuterium and Tritium we would have 2 protons and 3 neutrons. We only require 2 protons and 2 neutrons for Helium, so the 3rd neutron becomes the neutron that carries the energy.
Now onto the conditions that we need for Fusion on Earth. First, since we don’t have the insane gravitational force of the Sun, we require a much higher temperature to fuse nuclei (upwards of 100 million ℃). We also require a sufficient containment system to contain the plasma and keep the Fusion reaction going. While we already have achieved this, scientists are currently experimenting with ways to get better containment and stabilization of the plasma so we can achieve a greater net power gain.
In the long run, Nuclear Fusion energy will be greatly beneficial to humankind as we traverse the stars. There is probably quite a few questions on your mind, I hopefully will have answered those below in the FAQ. With that, I bid thou adieu.
FAQ:
Q: Is Fusion a clean source of energy?
A: Very, it is actually considered to be the most truly clean out of most renewable energy sources.
Q: Can Nuclear Fusion cause a nuclear accident?
A: No, the process of Fusion requires extremely heated up plasma. Because of this, if there is a malfunctioning piece of equipment, the plasma will just cool down.
Q: Does Fusion make radioactive waste?
A: Not quite. While Fission has the unfortunate side effect of creating unstable nuclei that stay radioactive for millions of years, Fusion does not create long-lived waste.
Sources:
Focus on Physics: How E = mc2 Helps Us Understand Nuclear Fission and Fusion | NSTA
What is Fusion, and Why Is It So Difficult to Achieve? | IAEA
DOE Explains…Nuclear Fusion Reactions | Department of Energy
