Deuterium-Tritium Fusion
Abstract
The energy crisis is upon us. Fossil fuels are expected to be totally depleted within the next ten to fifty years. We need an energy source that can consistently output lots of energy and be easily operated. Deuterium-Tritium fusion appears to be the best and most effective way to produce energy. By fusing the two isotopes of Hydrogen in to the heavier element Helium large quantities of energy are released. D-T fusion is the safest form of fusion, producing no waste and no harmful radioactive atoms. As long as there is available Deuterium and Tritium, we have an effective way to solve the energy crisis.
Introduction
The sun generates its energy by fusing hydrogen atoms, which give off large amounts of energy. However, scientists believe that the sun long ago fused Deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen, because it was a more easily achieved fusion.( Conventional Fusion FAQ, May 2007) Deuterium-Tritium fusion is soon to be one of the most effective and efficient ways to produce energy. A normal hydrogen atom has only one proton in its nucleus, but deuterium is a hydrogen atom with one neutron and one proton, a tritium atom consists of two neutrons and one proton. Deuterium is also known as "heavy water" because it forms D-O-D. (Wikipedia, 2007) Figure 1 Three isotopes of Hydrogen
Deuterium-Tritium Fusion 3
Heavy water has already been incorporated into modern nuclear reactors. Some Canadian reactors, such as CANDU, are using deuterium to moderate the heat of the reactors: however, the fusion of deuterium and tritium is still being researched. There have been few experiments on the fusion of Deuterium and Tritium. In 1952 Mike Ivy shot the first hydrogen bomb made with deuterium liquid. Th...
... middle of paper ...
.../hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fusion.html
Uranium Energy Corp, (2006). Uranium. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://www.uraniumenergy.com/uranium/
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (July 26 2007). Deuterium. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuterium
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (July 26 2007). Tritium. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritium Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (July 26 2007).
Nuclear Fusion. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (July 26 2007). Ocean. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (July 26 2007). Timeline of Nuclear Fusion. Retrieved July 30, 2007, Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Timeline_of_nuclear_fusion
The first modern periodic table wasn’t published until the middle of the twentieth century. Dr. Glenn Seaborg discovered plutonium in 1940 - this lead to the detection of all of the transuranic elements from 94 to 102. Because of his work, Dr....
As we know that fusion reaction takes place at very high temperature, fusion is a predominant process in sun. the temperature of sun is 3X107 degree Celsius, so nuclear fusion reaction continuously take place. The Sun which gives energy to entire universe depends on the energy released by fission of hydrogen nuclei into helium nucleus.
After World War II, nuclear power became the world’s shining energy hope. Technically it is produced when neutrons split the nucleus of uranium atoms releasing heat which is used to boil water and produce the steam that drives a plant’s turbines. Nuclear...
Cost and availability of fuel is a considerable factor when dealing with nuclear power. Fission requires an element that can be easily split in a particle accelerator, such as uranium or plutonium. Fusion, on the other hand, uses isotopes of hydrogen atoms, specifically deuterium and tritium, that can be obtained from ordinary water. Uranium ores occur naturally in many parts of the world but must go through a costly purification process before used as fuel. The unprocessed ore contains approximately 99.3% uranium-238, a non-fissionable isotope of uranium, and only about 0.7% of U-235 required for fission. One hydrogen atom out of 6700 appears as deuterium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen with an extra neutron, and can easily be separated from the rest. Uranium-235 is a non-renewable resource that will eventually run out, much like the fossil fuels. The abundance of deuterium and lithium provide a virtually unlimited supply of fuel for nuclear fusion. Therefore, nuclear fusion seems to be the better choice.
DeNardi, Candice. "Fact Sheet: The Basics of Nuclear Weapons." The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. (2013): 69-97 Business Source Premier. Web. 20 Apr 2014.
As of now, 80% of global energy is provided by fossil fuels. Wind and solar energy sources are unlikely to completely replace fossil fuels in the coming decades due to infrastructure problems. A drop in global energy provided by oil starting sometime between 2012 and 2014 (Chris) is also expected. As a result of these circumstances more research must be done in other forms of energy generation in order to keep with energy demand as countries industrialize and populations grow. Despite claims that nuclear fusion will not be practically realized, research into nuclear fusion should be increased as it is not harmful to the environment, has nearly limitless fuel, and is inherently safe. Fusion power produces no greenhouse gasses and no long-lived radioactive products, making it a very clean energy source. According to the article “Safety and Environment,” “Fusion power does not produce any greenhouse gasses (GHGs) or other atmospheric pollutants during operation.” It has become an increasing desire for things, such as cars and companies, to become environmentally friendly or “green.” The fact that fusion power would generate no greenhouse gasses inherently is a big plus. Furthermore, according to the same article, “SEAFP concluded that fusion has very good inherent safety qualities, among which... no production of long-lived, highly radiotoxic products.” The radiotoxic products produced by nuclear fission pose a large environmental problem due to storage required. Fusion is much more environmentally friendly than fission because it lacks these products.
1.Thinkquest, (2006). Fusion: Future Energy. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from Energy Matters Web site: http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/fusion/advant.html
"The Sun L Sun Facts and Images." The Nine Planets Solar System Tour. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
Nuclear fusion is the process in which two nuclei fuse together to form a larger nuclei. Hydrogen atoms are usually used in fusion reactions. Fusion releases more energy than fission but can only occur when the nuclei are very hot. The temperature needed for fusion reactions is about 20,000,000°C. Fusion reactors are also called thermonuclear reactors because of the high temperatures. Fusion occurs in three stages; in the first stage two hydrogen nuclei join to form deute...
Here is where the process of nuclear fusion comes in, nuclear fusion is the process that stars use to create their energy, it involved fusing together two hydrogen atoms to produce helium and a very large amount of energy. Compared to nuclear fission, the process of fusion is alot safer as ...
Deuterium is inexpensively extracted from water, and tritium is produced during the reaction itself via lithium. Deuterium and lithium are placed within a containment field created by two large electromagnets, with water below, and the two are heated until they become highly ionized gas, or plasma. From there, the heat is maintained until the two sets of plasma come together, or fuse, and release a burst of energy that surpasses all other methods, including nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion is a safer method of nuclear power, as the isotopes are proven stable both alone and together, are not exceedingly radioactive, and do not pose any known threat of pollution. Alongside this, nuclear fusion is an “intrinsically safe [fusion] reactor operation” as a combination of the “sensitive temperature-pressure balance requirement for reactions to occur” and the minimal amount of material necessary to produce energy ensures that “even in the event of a loss of coolant or power-failure, there is no danger of runaway processes caused by uncontrolled chain-reactions, avoiding the possibility of major accidents.” (“Fusion” 10) Nuclear fusion can be considered a method of harnessing renewable solar energy, and easily complements not only the existing solar initiatives, but those of wind and hydroelectric power as well. (“Fusion”) Currently, nuclear
Nuclear energy is an alternative to using fossil fuels. Although nuclear energy is also nonrenewable, it has a much lower amount of air pollution, as well as a lower risk of affecting the climate through global warming. There are three main kinds of nuclear energy, nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, and radioactive decay. This report will explain how nuclear fusion works, as well as explaining the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fusion.
I plan to educate those who read this paper on what they might not know of a few of our elements. I will tell you what I have learned over the oxygen group on the elemental table. I will talk about Oxygen, Sulfur, Selenium, Tellurium, and last but not least Polonium. These elements have changed our way of life and history in ways you might not know. We are surrounded by these elements in our daily life and they make us the way we are. I hope to teach you and answer some questions about these elements in this informant paper.
Power from nuclear fusion reactors would be a welcome achievement for the 21st century, and at the current rate of progress it seems likely that before the end of the new century energy will be available from nuclear fusion. It is estimated that it will take over a decade from the time a sustainable fusion reaction is achieved before fusion power will be available for use. But the attention being devoted to research is strong, the experiments are coming closer to fruition, and we are coming closer to having an almost limitless supply of energy.
Whilst there are clear arguments for and against nuclear energy, the future is promising; with scientists working on potential breakthroughs such as nuclear fusion, and the design of newer and better and reactors. Nuclear fusion is a reaction which causes the nuclei of atoms to collide and form a new atomic nucleus. It is essentially what heats the sun and stars and would produce no long-lived radioactive waste.22 If scientists could control the process of atomic fusion then it could become a never ending energy source for future use.