Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in their efforts to realize an efficient fusion reactor. This new research could help create an entirely new energy source while revolutionizing how humanity operates in the world.
Not far to seek, the process of fusion is how the Sun, as well as other stars we know, generates energy. Scientists aim to build a star right here on Earth, creating a clean energy source for millennia to come.
The fusion process is how the Sun and other stars generate energy.
So far, the fusion process has remained quite challenging. The input energy is still greater than the output, rendering a fusion reactor completely useless. However, in a new report, the research team claims to have created a process that allows matter to self-heat when it reaches a plasma state, bringing the efficient fusion reactor one step closer to reality.
The new research has been published in the journal Nature, describing how scientists successfully conducted the new experiment.
The experiment mentioned in the new report is just one of many breakthroughs needed before humanity can harness efficient fusion energy. Nonetheless, it remains a key success that allows fusion energy to meet expectations.
Simply put, the research team compressed and maintained the temperature of matter in a plasma state, meaning they sustained the energy-generating state of the reactor. To conduct the experiment, the team created plasma from deuterium—a hydrogen isotope found in seawater—and tritium, which is produced in a reactor.
The particles generated when the nuclei fuse will become a heat source that maintains the extremely high temperature of the plasma.
Among the four successful experiments, one demonstrated that the reactor produced 170 kilojoules of energy from a material sphere measuring just millimeters across, containing less than a milligram of the isotope.
The energy produced by the reactor exceeded the input energy; however, the output of the fusion reactor remains too small. Furthermore, the process of maintaining the reactor’s operation and the laser heating the material still consumes too much energy. Nevertheless, the research team asserts that the reactor was accurate and well-controlled during the experiment and could lay the groundwork for many future breakthroughs.
“It is unclear whether this research will lead us to an effective future energy source,” said scientist Nigel Woolsey from the University of York in a statement. “However, the goal of developing a fuel that can mitigate the impacts of climate change while allowing us to enjoy the benefits of electrical energy is certainly worth pursuing.”
