The Physics Concepts And Principles Behind Nuclear Fusion

     Fusion energy seems to be the most promising energy source of the not-too-distant future. It is safe, it uses an energy supply that is so abundant that it will never run out, it gives off harmless waste, and it produces energy comparable to the Earth's sun! But are there any problems with this hopeful energy source?

Presently, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are being studied, and even used in some countries as a power generator. The enormous energy produced by nuclear fission and fusion could light up a big city for a hundred years or more and we do not have to worry about it polluting our environment because nuclear energy is a green energy. Moreover, in a long term, the cost to generate power using nuclear is far less than the cost of generating power using fossil fuel.

alternatives, such as nuclear fusion. Fusion has been an attractive method of energy for a

Fossil fuels make up about 85% of the United States fuel (The Hidden Cost of Fossil Fuels) and 80% of the entire world’s fuel (City of Whitehorse). At the rate in which humans are growing as a population, the rate at which we use fossil fuels is increasing in steady numbers. Fossil fuels are an unsustainable, and therefore they are unreliable. If the population will continue to grow, they must find a new energy source before the ones they use today become depleted. Since 1945 (Outline History of Nuclear Energy), humans have been closely focusing on the development of harnessing nuclear power. Nuclear power that exists today is known as nuclear fission, which involves the science of harnessing the energy when an atom is split. Presently, researchers are looking into a new form of nuclear power that is called nuclear fusion. This type of nuclear power involves forcing atoms to combine and capturing the energy released. Both forms of nuclear power are by far more sustainable than fossil fuels and produce less waste which is harmful to humans and the

Nuclear fusion occurs in the nucleuses of two elements that have somewhat light masses. The nucleuses of these two elements are brought together at extremely high speeds to ultimately create the new nucleus of a new element. Very few radioactive particles are created through this process, it also mostly takes place in the stars. Where as in nuclear fission, the nucleus of a heavy atom is split into two smaller nuclei. During this process the loss of neutrons releases energy in the form of gamma rays. This process rarely occurs in nature due to the force require to split an

known as the "binding energy". All stars have nuclear fusion occurring until the end of

These issues combine to place an unfavorable light on the potential of nuclear power. Nuclear fission, however, is not the only source of nuclear power. Nuclear fusion is another method which offers the potential to combat some of the ailments of nuclear fission in addition to providing long lasting power. Nuclear fusion offers several benefits to energy industry. Among the benefits of fusion power is that fusion fuel is readily available, power produced is reliable, has a low environmental impact, does not produce fissile materials, and carries the same terror risk as conventional fossil fuel plants [6]. To understand why some of these benefits are true, an understanding of the science behind nuclear fusion is necessary.To start, nuclear reactions involve the protons and neutrons contained in the nucleus of an atom. This is different from how chemical reactions, like the burning of fossil fuels, involve the electrons of an atom. In nuclear fission reactions, heavier elements are torn apart. The resulting products are more stable than the reactant, and energy is

Nuclear energy power plants are incredibly expensive to build, yet the benefits usually outweigh the consequences. One major benefit is

A heavier atom is formed when two light atomic nuclei’s (e.g. hydrogen-1 & hydrogen-2 )are fused together which only happens when a substantial blow of energy is released and then a larger and heavier nuclei is created( e.g. helium-3.) E.g. when sun and stars release energy. It can’t be controlled as the amount of power required to generate and maintain fusion is more than the reaction can generate itself.

Fusion energy provides many environmental benefits will make much more effective and other sources when we are able to achieve commercial fusion energy. Unfortunately, it is also plagued by some key limitations that prevent fusion from becoming a commercial success. Firstly, fusion energy is extremely costly with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER) forecast to cost around 20 billion dollars , the US pumping 450 million dollars a year into the 3.5-billion-dollar National Ignition Facility(NIF) facility, the costs of fusion aren’t slowing down.

Whether nuclear fusion produces a substantial amount of energy for the U.S. may not matter. All good things come with speculation. Some critics, like Michael Moyer, suppose that nuclear fusion would create too much radiation, or harmful by-products that may cause cancer or other mutations.

Fusion comes from the combining of two or more atoms into a larger atom while releasing huge amounts of energy.

As each year passes, more and more electricity will be made as a result of increased nuclear power plants around the world. The economic benefits of nuclear energy are equally advantageous as the environmental aspects.

Firstly, high thermal energies are needed to achieve controlled fusion. High temperature enable the particles to overcome the Coulomb barrier, the energy barrier due to electrostatic interaction that two nuclei need to overcome so they can get close enough to undergo a nuclear reaction. This energy barrier of the electrostatic potential energy is that temperature must be maintained for a sufficient confinement time and with a sufficient ion density in order to obtain a net yield of energy from a fusion reaction. A necessary part in nuclear fusion is plasma, which is a mixture of atomic nuclei and electrons that are required to initiate a self-sustaining reaction which requires a temperature of more than 40,000,000 K.

The world's natural resources are being consumed at an alarming rate. As these resources diminish, people will be seeking alternative sources by which to generate electricity for heat and light. The only practical short-term solution for the energy/pollution crisis should be nuclear power because it is available, cleaner and safer.