One of the most impressive scientific achievements of the 21st century
Obtaining energy as a result of thermonuclear fusion is one of the most impressive scientific achievements of the 21st century
in the USA announced the production of energy as a result of thermonuclear fusion. The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday a monumental milestone in energy-harvesting research: Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have for the first time achieved a “net gain in energy” during fusion.
Grenholm said at a press conference , adding that researchers have been working on it for decades.
“This [achievement] strengthens our national security, the experiment we conducted allows us to recreate certain conditions that can only be found in the stars and the sun,” she said. “This milestone brings us one significant step closer to zero-carbon fusion power powering our society.”
According to Grenholm , the results of the scientists’ work will have an impact on US industry throughout the country.
“Today we are telling the world that America has made a significant scientific breakthrough.”
It is hoped that the breakthrough can be used to develop a clean energy source that will allow us to move away from fossil fuels.
“The day you get more energy out than you put in, [only] the sky will be the limit,” American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson told CBS News .
Nuclear fusion is considered the “Holy Grail ” of energy generation and, according to many, can save humanity from extinction. In short, two hydrogen atoms combine into a helium atom with a huge release of energy. This is how the stars and our Sun burn.
“We knew how to fuse atoms and generate energy,” said de Grasse Tyson . “We just couldn’t control it.”
Nuclear fusion technology has been around since the hydrogen bomb, but using it to produce energy has required decades of research.
“They took 200 laser beams, some of the most powerful on planet Earth, and combined that energy into a small ball,” Dr. Mitio said. Kaku , CBS News contributor and futurist. “Just remember that fusion power has no nuclear waste to speak of, no harmful substances to worry about.”
Scientists believe that thermonuclear plants will be much safer than today’s nuclear plants, if this process can be mastered.
Currently, nuclear power plants use fission, which splits atoms to produce energy. Even if it’s not burning fossil fuels, disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima are proof that nuclear fission can still harm people and the environment. But now the time has come not to divide, but to merge.
“It’s long past time for us to transform something so destructive that it can finally be used peacefully in the service of civilization,” said Neil deGrasse Tyson .
Granholm said the scientists have reached a milestone that goes far beyond simply announcing the results of the experiment.
“This is a significant achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Center who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will no doubt lead to more discoveries,” said Grenholm , adding that the breakthrough “will be in the history books.”
What is fusion? Star energy source for clean energy
Scientists, governments and companies around the world are increasingly investing in a potential source that could provide unlimited amounts of clean energy for everyone on Earth: nuclear fusion.
Member of the US House of Representatives Ted Lew , a Democrat from California, called what happened “a game changer for the world” in the quest to create a sustainable source of electricity.
In fusion, two atomic nuclei combine to create a heavier nucleus, and energy is released in the process. The reaction takes place in a state of matter called a plasma, which is different from a liquid, solid, or gas.
In the Sun, nuclei collide at temperatures high enough to overcome the electrical repulsion that normally separates them. When they are very close together, the atomic force of attraction between them becomes stronger than the electrical repulsion and the atoms can fuse. The Sun’s gravity ensures that the nuclei are close enough to each other, which increases the probability of their collision.
last month.
“This includes public participation and fair use of energy, training of specialists in various fields, creation of a regulatory and legal framework that enjoys the trust of the public and support for the timely deployment of the relevant market, attraction of investments and commercialization partners, export control, nuclear non-proliferation, cyber security , international as well as creation supply chains, production facilities and waste disposal,” Hsu said .
Source:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nuclear-fusion-energy-breakthrough-announcement
