7/23/2023 0 Comments Fusion vs fission power plantEven fission itself could become more spry with the development of so-called “ small modular reactors,” which are designed to be cheaper to build. They outline a number of scenarios that could sideline fusion, some of which may be good news for the world: that wind and solar can do much of the work of decarbonizing the grid by the time fusion comes around, for example, or that batteries get really good and really cheap. In an earlier analysis from 2021, Samuel Ward, a physicist then at the University of York, and his colleagues developed a warier outlook. So you can argue that fusion energy is as limitless as there are hydrogen atoms in the universe. The goal is to smush atoms together-typically two hydrogen atoms, forming helium-and in the process lose a little bit of mass which, because e = mc 2, means releasing energy, too. Various national programs, a big international effort called ITER, and at least 40 private companies are trying to ignite simulacra of that process here on Earth. It’s got 5 billion years left in the tank. Just look up there, at that burning ball in the sky. The potential payoff is big: Figure out the science, the wisdom goes, and fusion will unlock “ unlimited clean energy.” The US government has announced a record $1.4 billion in funding for research, the beginning of a 10-year drive toward practical fusion. Startups working on fusion have reported a surge of interest from investors this year. But the result has prompted a revival of long-established predictions that fusion will solve all humanity’s energy needs. And there’s still plenty to figure out about how to harness fusion energy for electricity. The ignition experiment still consumed energy overall, because the laser burned a lot more power than it delivered to its target.
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