Image: Laser apparatus used to produce first ever net energy gain from fusion reactor core. Source: NIF
On December 13th, scientists at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced that for the first time ever, net energy gain has been observed from the core of a nuclear fusion reactor. This is a massive milestone for the technology, however, it is not the breakthrough that will automatically lead to limitless energy for all. There is a long road ahead before fusion becomes a viable, large-scale source of energy.
Using nuclear fusion as an energy source has long been the goal of scientists. All commercial nuclear reactors currently operate on fission, which is the splitting of a heavy atom (such as Uranium). This breaks the bonds of the nucleus, releasing the energy holding it together [1]. This method of producing energy comes with radioactive waste, as well as health risks to those working near the reactor. To learn more about the current nuclear energy industry, check out the Bison Energy Report's recent article on "The Future of Nuclear Energy."
Fusion, meanwhile, operates in a completely different fashion. It works by binding two hydrogen atoms together, to create a helium atom [1]. In this process, a small amount of mass is lost and converted to energy [1]. The energy emitted from this process is explained by the most famous mathematical equation, E=mc^2 [1]. Since the speed of light is so great, even the smallest loss of mass can result in massive energy production.
Fusion also does not come with the same negative side effects as fission. While Fission requires the splitting of heavy atoms, fusion deals with two elements, hydrogen and helium, neither of which pose a great danger to those close to the reaction (other than a potential fire hazard) [1]. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, which eliminates the need for mining, which can be dangerous and environmentally harmful. With fusion, the issues surrounding the disposal of nuclear waste are completely removed. Fusion also does not produce greenhouse gas, like its fossil fuel counterparts.
At the NIF, nuclear fusion testing has been going on since 2009, when construction on the system was completed [2]. It is the "world's largest and most energetic laser system for inertial confinement fusion" [2]. Since then, the team working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has broken a number of milestones, starting with the first production of energy from fusion in 2014. Since then, they have continually raised the energy produced in the reaction, until finally creating a net energy gain seen in their most recent experiments [3].
The experiment works by focusing "192 high-energy lasers at a target the size of a peppercorn" [4]. The target is a pellet composed of two hydrogen isotopes which are heated to a plasma, creating the release of energy that is desired from a nuclear fusion reaction [4]. However, the "huge amount of time and money" required for each experiment has so far made this a completely unviable source of energy, even with the massive technological hurdles that have recently been overcome [5]. For fusion to work at a large scale level, the researchers need to not only make their system more efficient, but also streamline their processes, allowing for the production of energy at a larger scale. According to all sources, the technology is still a long way from this [1]-[5].
Overall, the net gain seen from the fusion reaction is a success of science, putting the world one step closer to the production of 'limitless,' clean energy. With the continued work of scientists and improvements in the protocols that they follow, the world will see nuclear fusion on a large scale within the next fifty years. However, there is still work to be done. As seen by the energy crisis' currently faced by Europe and a majority of the undeveloped world, there is a gap in energy production that is looking to be filled [6]. While fusion is not the answer now, it could be in the future. We should take this recent breakthrough as a success, but understand that is it just one small step towards a greater, much more distant goal.
Sources
[1] S. Osaka, "What You Need to Know About the U.S. Fusion Energy Breakthrough," The Washington Post. 13 December 2022. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
[2] S. Brereton, "Overview of the National Ignition Facility," PubMed, June 2013. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
[3] K. Chang, "Scientists Achieve Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough with Blast of 192 Lasers," The New York Times, 13 December 2022. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
[4] B. Turner, "Nuclear Fusion Reactor Core Produces More Energy than it Consumes in World-First Demonstration," Livescience, 13 December 2022. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
[5] E. Nilsen, "U.S. Scientists Reach Long-Awaited Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough, Source Says," CNN, 13 December 2022. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
[6] J. Horowitz, "Europe will Still be Facing an Energy Crisis in 2023," CNN, 12 December 2022. [Accessed: 13 December 2022].
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