Nuclear fusion breakthrough promises unlimited energy
- 10 years ago
Originally published on February 14, 2014
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American scientists said announced a breakthrough in the development of nuclear fusion, which could lead to an inexhaustible supply of energy.
A series of nuclear fusion experiments aimed at replicating nuclear fusion - the same process that powers the sun - have been conducted since 2009 at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
The important NIF milestone for energy experts was "ignition", where the energy produced is greater than the amount of energy put in.
The fusion experiment employs a 10mm long target container known as a hohlraum. Inside the hohlraum is a fuel pellet containing two hydrogen isotopes deuterium-tritium.
The hohlraum is then placed inside a cryogenically-cooled holder that keeps it at a steady temperature of 18 degrees kelvin (-400 degrees Fahrenheit).
The process sees 192 powerful laser beams converge inside the hohlraum generating a bath of x-rays.
At high temperatures, the nuclei of deuterium and tritium are fused together. Alpha particles, which are helium atoms without any electrons, are produced, generating a large amount of energy.
The public has been skeptical of the nuclear fusion experiments conducted at the federally-funded laboratory, which was built with a five billion dollar price tag.
The team failed to achieve nuclear fusion in October 2012, a deadline set by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
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American scientists said announced a breakthrough in the development of nuclear fusion, which could lead to an inexhaustible supply of energy.
A series of nuclear fusion experiments aimed at replicating nuclear fusion - the same process that powers the sun - have been conducted since 2009 at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
The important NIF milestone for energy experts was "ignition", where the energy produced is greater than the amount of energy put in.
The fusion experiment employs a 10mm long target container known as a hohlraum. Inside the hohlraum is a fuel pellet containing two hydrogen isotopes deuterium-tritium.
The hohlraum is then placed inside a cryogenically-cooled holder that keeps it at a steady temperature of 18 degrees kelvin (-400 degrees Fahrenheit).
The process sees 192 powerful laser beams converge inside the hohlraum generating a bath of x-rays.
At high temperatures, the nuclei of deuterium and tritium are fused together. Alpha particles, which are helium atoms without any electrons, are produced, generating a large amount of energy.
The public has been skeptical of the nuclear fusion experiments conducted at the federally-funded laboratory, which was built with a five billion dollar price tag.
The team failed to achieve nuclear fusion in October 2012, a deadline set by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
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Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more!
Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
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Check out our official website: http://us.tomonews.net/
Stay connected with us here:
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