Fusion reactors, while producing energy, also produce neutron streams that can cause radiation damage, produce radioactive waste, necessitate biological shielding, and even create the potential for weapons-grade plutonium production.
- Jun 20, 2023, 3:00 PM CDT
Given the time and resources required for fusion power plant construction, the technology might not be feasible for timely carbon emission reduction, and the prospect of fusion energy might be distracting society from immediate solutions to energy scarcity and climate change.
So, you may be asking: Why don't scientists just use ordinary hydrogen instead of deuterium and tritium isotopes? Our attempts to re-create the Sun's power on Earth face"much lower particle densities and much more fleeting energy confinement," Jassby explains. That's why scientists use deuterium and tritium"which are 24 orders of magnitude more reactive than ordinary hydrogen.
The neutrons which are liberated in this type of fusion have to go somewhere. Over time, just like in nuclear fission plants, these neutrons damage the reactor vessel wall. One design addresses this issue by encapsulating the fusion fuel in a"one-meter thick liquid lithium sphere or cylinder." This will create tons of radioactive waste that has to be removed annually.
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