Nuclear Fusion is the process of
bringing two or more atoms together in a way that the atoms fuse, casting off excess
electrons in the form of radiation. Fusion has an upper weight limit beyond which the
atoms will not fuse on their own and require external energy; this is the Iron
Limit, at the isotope Iron-56.
Current nuclear
power reactors use Fission reactions, using either self-sustaining
or non-self-sustaining fissions in radioactive material. By bringing radioactive
material closer or farther from the reactant, we are able to control the output of
power; however, the material eventually decays and must be
replaced.
In a nuclear fusion power reactor, sustained
reactions would come from the continuous fusing of atoms below the iron limit. Since the
resulting output of energy is extremely hot, there are problems with controlling and
containing the reactant material. Magnetic containment has by itself been unsuccessful,
with leaks and uneaven heating. At the moment, no commercial fusion power source has
been successfully completed.
The
Tokamak, a plasma field containment unit shaped like a donut, had
been the most successful model to date. There have been many built over the last forty
years and they are likely to be the eventual form of the sustainable nuclear fusion
reactor in the future.
Cold fusion has never been
successfully demonstrated and can be considered only a theory at this
point.
The failure to create a sustainable fusion reactor
leads one to believe that continuing research will be futile, and yet there have been
demonstrated successes using small, non-commercial reactors. By continuing to experiment
with different methods of containing and utilizing hot fusion reactions, we can build
safer containment units for existing fission reactors, as well as building safe storage
for nuclear waste. These experiments also increase our understanding of magnetic
properties.
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