Fusion as an Energy Source:Challenges and Opportunities

By:- Ank Khandelwal and Nagaraj Joshi

Currently the world is facing many problems like global warming , pollution , electricity shortage.

Population is increasing at a very high rate , so the demands for power is increasing day by day.

Presently generation of energy depends upon coal and oil sources, but these will not last for long.

These fossil fuels also emit a lot of CO2 which is the main cause for global warming.

1. Fusion is the release of energy by combining 2 light nuclei such as deuterium and tritium.

2. The energy produced during fusion reaction is much more than the fission reaction.

pn

pn

n

Fusion

n

n np

p

Deuterium Nucleus

Tritium Nucleus

Neutron

He Nucleus

+ energy (17.6Mev)

1. The fuel for fusion is abundantly available.

2. Fusion like fission does not produce radioactive waste.

3. It doesn’t produce CO2 .

4. Fusion power stations would not produce fissile materials and make no use of Uranium and Plutonium, the elements associated with nuclear weapons.

5. As with fission, fusion power stations would provide energy at a constant rate, making them suitable for base-load electricity supply.

Interesting Fact :

1 Kg of fusion fuel would produce the same amount of energy as 10,000,000 kg of fossil fuel.

Let us check out the Answer……….

ITER Research International

Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Cadarache, France

It is a Multi-Nation Venture

Cost $13.8 billion

500 Megawatt Power

Working

•Expected to start work in 2018. Anticipated output in 2026.

•Requires very high temperature.

•Requires huge finance budget.

•Maintenance

Nuclear fusion is one of the promising source of energy and has the potential to meet our energy needs and hope that the ITER is successful so that we wont have to see a day like this…………