Massive Accomplishment: Achieved nuclear fusion that generates more energy than it absorbs
As reported by the FT, which reports the preliminary results of a recent experiment, US government scientists have taken a step forward in the search for unlimited, zero-carbon energy, achieving for the first time a net energy gain in a fusion reaction. That is, a fusion has been obtained that generates more energy than it absorbs.
The federal Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, which uses a process called inertial confinement fusion that involves bombarding a tiny pellet of hydrogen plasma with the world's largest laser, has achieved a net energy gain in a merger in the last two weeks. Although many scientists believe fusion power plants are still decades away, the potential of the technology is hard to ignore.
Fusion reactions emit no carbon, produce no long-lived radioactive waste, and a small cup of hydrogen could theoretically power a house for hundreds of years.
The fusion reaction at the US government facility produced about 2.5 megajoules of energy, or about 120 percent of the laser's 2.1 megajoules of energy, people familiar with the findings said, adding that the data is still under analysis. So 20% more energy was obtained, still not much, but the road is fixed
here is an outline of how the merger at Livermore worked
The US Department of Energy said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Undersecretary of Nuclear Security Jill Hruby will announce a "major scientific discovery" at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on Tuesday, so this is a first-time preview.
If the news is confirmed, we will witness a historic moment,” said Dr. Arthur Turrell, a plasma physicist whose book The Star Builders traces the effort to achieve fusion energy.
"Scientists have struggled to prove that fusion can release more energy than is being input since the 1950s, and researchers at Lawrence Livermore appear to have finally and utterly surpassed this decades-old goal."
With global energy demand projected to increase by 47% over the next 30 years, while renewable sources such as wind and solar are intermittent and need a basic clean energy source to integrate; fusion, when (not if) commercially implemented, could provide clean, abundant, reliable, and cost-competitive energy. Now, however, it is a question of reaching an excess of more than 40% which allows the commercial use of the principle. However, the road is traced.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles from Economic Scenarios.
The article Resounding Achievement: Achieved Nuclear Fusion That Generates More Energy Than It Absorbs comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/realizzazione-clamorosa-ottenuta-fusione-nucleare-che-genera-piu-energia-di-quanta-ne-assorbe/ on Mon, 12 Dec 2022 17:28:03 +0000.