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https://theconversation.com/a-major-fusion-breakthrough-was-just-officially-announced-in-the-us-but-what-does-it-actually-mean-196474>
"For the first time, scientists in the US have confirmed a fusion energy
experiment achieved net gain. This means releasing more energy than it takes to
initiate, demonstrating the physical basis for producing fusion energy in a
controlled way.
This historic feat took place at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
in California, using the National Ignition Facility experiment after decades of
planning and research.
The milestone used a process called inertial confinement fusion. It involves
bombarding a tiny gold cylinder containing a pellet of hydrogen fuel – about
the size of a pencil eraser – with the world’s most powerful laser system
comprised of 192 laser beams. This produces hot plasma and X-rays that trigger
an implosion, compressing the fuel pellet and kicking off a fusion reaction
that unleashes energy.
The team at LLNL reports they delivered “2.05 megajoules of energy to the
target, resulting in 3.15 megajoules of fusion energy output”.
To quickly review, the goal of fusion energy is exactly that – to heat up and
compress fuel particles so they undergo fusion: merging together to create a
heavier atomic particle, unleashing energy in the process.
Fusion is what powers stars like our Sun, but it can only occur under specific
conditions. Atoms must be subjected to immense heat and pressure to overcome
tremendous physical forces and fuse. It is the opposite of nuclear fission used
in current nuclear power plants.
The lofty end goal for harnessing fusion for power production is to generate
vast amounts of clean, sustainable electricity."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
