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Nuclear Energy: Fusion: Thermonuclear Reaction E MC

This document discusses nuclear fusion as a potential source of energy. It provides details on the fusion reaction of hydrogen isotopes, including deuterium and tritium, which produces massive amounts of energy. While fusion could meet energy needs for millions of years using readily available fuels, sustaining a controlled fusion reaction that produces net energy output is extremely challenging technically and requires temperatures over 100 million kelvin and high pressures. Current research aims to develop technologies to confine and control fusion plasmas.

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Ariel Raye Rica
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
47 views

Nuclear Energy: Fusion: Thermonuclear Reaction E MC

This document discusses nuclear fusion as a potential source of energy. It provides details on the fusion reaction of hydrogen isotopes, including deuterium and tritium, which produces massive amounts of energy. While fusion could meet energy needs for millions of years using readily available fuels, sustaining a controlled fusion reaction that produces net energy output is extremely challenging technically and requires temperatures over 100 million kelvin and high pressures. Current research aims to develop technologies to confine and control fusion plasmas.

Uploaded by

Ariel Raye Rica
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NUCLEAR ENERGY:

FUSION
Thermonuclear Reaction
E = mc2
Energy Comparison

Chemical Fission Fusion


Reaction C+O2 U-235 2
1H
+ 21H 
CO2 3 He + 1 n
2 0
Starting coal UO2 ore H-2, H-3
Material isotopes
Temp 700 K 1000 K 1E+8 K
needed
Energy 3.3E+7 or 2.1E+12 3.4E+14 or
J/kg fuel 33 MegaJ or 2000 3400000
GigaJ GigaJ
Nuclear Fusion (1)
• Nuclear reaction in which light nuclei
combine or fuse to produce a heavier
nucleus and a lot of energy.
• Example: Deuterium and/or Tritium fuse
• 21H + 21H  32He + 10n
• 21H + 31H  42He + 10n
Nuclear Fusion (2)
• Huge potential for meeting our energy needs: 1
g of H2 produces energy from burning 1 ton of
coal
• Deuterium is naturally occurring and is available
at 0.015% abundance. 21H in water could meet
energy needs for millions of years.
• Tritium is radioactive and must be produced via
fission of Li (abundant in earth’s crust).
• 63Li + 1n0  42He + 31H
Nuclear Fusion (3)
• For example, 10 grams of Deuterium
which can be extracted from 500 L (or 0.5
Mg) of water and 15g of Tritium produced
from 30g of Lithium would produce enough
fuel for the lifetime electricity needs of an
average person in an industrialized
country.
Nuclear Fusion (4)
• Produces minimal radioactive waste, but
risks exist with β emitting tritium.
• Produces no greenhouse gases or acid
rain.
• But requirements to carry out a controlled
fusion reaction and convert the energy
produced to industrial and household uses
is very difficult technologically and
financially.
Sustained Fusion Requirements
• Extremely high temperatures (100 – 200
million K) at which the hydrogen isotopes
are stripped of their electrons creating a
plasma of hot charged gases.
• Control of plasma to confine the energy
for 1-2 seconds.
• Extremely high pressure to force the
cations closer than 10-15 m to achieve
plasma density > 2E20 particles/m3
Sustained Fusion Requirements
• Safe handling of radioactive itopies.
• Technologies under development
– High magnetic fields to trap plasma of ions
– Fission reaction needed to produce neutrons
for tritium production  radioactive fallout
– “cold” fusion
– Creating high temperatures
Current Research to Control Fusion
Reaction for Energy Production

• Currently, fusion is not a feasible


alternative to fossil fuels but countries
have formed consortium to work on this
very difficult technological problems.
Thermonuclear Weapons
• Fusion of hydrogen bomb: heat and
explosion responsible for damage;
requires an atomic bomb to ignite.

• Neutron bomb: small hydrogen bomb with


emission of high energy neutrons
responsible for the damage.
Solar Energy
• Energy from sun results from nuclear reactions
fusing hydrogen isotopes.
• This energy sustains life on earth
• Renewable until H isotopes are exhausted, but
other fusion reactions can occur.
• Huge energy capacity: 0.01% of the sun’s
energy can meet 100% of global energy needs
• But there are many challenges before it can be
harnased or captured.
Direct Solar Energy
• Solar Cells
– Photon + reactants  electricity via a
chemical reaction
• Solar Heating
– Capture IR component of sunlight to heat
water, space, etc
Indirect Solar Energy
Current/Pot. Problems
Production
Hydroelectric 24/100 (EJ) Creates flooded land,
CH4, Hg
Wind 15/300 (EJ) Noise, disrupts
wildlife, needs land,
Aesthetics
Biomass 55/ (EJ) Pollution, needs
land, processing
Tide, Wave Xx/20 (EJ) 2 high tides/day

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