A new bold project is underway to bring Energy Fusion closer to reality. And this time, a team of University of Clemson is at the forefront.
Clemson Mik Carbajales-DaleAn expert in environmental engineering and earth sciences plays a key role in a massive plan of $ 107 million supported by the Ministry of Energy. The goal? To understand how to make energy fusion practical, durable and ready to evolve – quickly.
So what is fusion energy, and why is it important?
Fusion is the process that feeds the sun. It creates energy by merging hydrogen atoms together – no dirty fuels, no toxic waste and no by -products filled with pollution. Unlike today's nuclear power plants, which are based on the atoms division and leave hazardous waste, the merger only produces helium (yes, balloon gas) as by-production. What about fuel? Deuterium and Tritium – The two forms of hydrogen – which are abundant and, in the case of tritium, can potentially be produced in a lasting way with the right technology in place.
This last push to do merger work is part of a collaboration effort called FIR FCconducted by the National Laboratory of Savannah River. Carbajales-Dale de Clemson targets one of the most critical pieces: Finding how to produce and manage tritium fuel in a clean, efficient and ready-to-use way. He said they would focus on “if there are environmental challenges to increase nuclear fusion, especially with regard to the fuel cycle”.
This includes the analysis of the full fuel life cycle – from creation to storage through waste – and the use of a powerful forecasting method to predict the environmental and economic impacts of the deployment of large -scale merger.
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Here is why this is a big problem: if successful, the merger could provide 24 -hour clean energy, which is cheaper than what we are used to paying today. Think of lower energy bills, more reliable networks and much less air pollutants linked to health problems such as asthma. And because the merger does not depend on oil, gas or coal, this could considerably reduce pollution that overheat our planet.
FC Fire includes dozens of best research institutions, laboratories and leaders of the industry – from Columbia and Georgia Tech in General Fusion and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Together, they approach a wide range of challenges, including the design of reactors and the logistics of the fuel cycle. And although there is still work in advance, scientists say that we are closer than ever to a future supplied by fusion.
Tanja KaranfilThe vice-president director of research, scholarships and creative efforts in Clemson, said: “We are delighted to associate ourselves with such a talented and dynamic team to advance research on the energy of the merger, an area that holds an incredible promise to shape a sustainable and secure energy future.
And as the former assistant energy secretary said, these programs show that the United States is serious about the “first to market fusion energy”.
Thus, while Fusion may not feed your home tomorrow, this breakthrough marks a huge step towards a cleaner and cheaper energy future – a future where we may not have to choose between a healthy planet and a motorized life.
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