How small can a fusion reactor get?

To produce the world’s smallest fusion reactor — one that crushes a doughnut-shaped fusion reaction into a 3.3 meter radius — three of which could power a city the size of Boston. And MIT researchers are getting close to their goal, despite a recent cut in federal funding that could slow their progress.

Why fusion reactor is not possible?

Normally, fusion is not possible because the strongly repulsive electrostatic forces between the positively charged nuclei prevent them from getting close enough together to collide and for fusion to occur. The nuclei can then fuse, causing a release of energy.

Is a fusion reactor possible?

After ITER, demonstration fusion power plants, or DEMOs are being planned to show that controlled nuclear fusion can generate net electrical power. Future fusion reactors will not produce high activity, long lived nuclear waste, and a meltdown at a fusion reactor is practically impossible.

Can fusion reactors be miniaturized?

Fusion power plants use magnetic fields to hold a ball of current-carrying gas (called a plasma). This creates a miniature sun that generates energy through nuclear fusion. The Compact Advanced Tokamak (CAT) concept uses state-of-the-art physics models to potentially improve fusion energy production.

How much can a fusion reactor power?

At present, fusion devices produce more than ten megawatts of fusion power. ITER will be capable of producing 500 megawatts of fusion power.

What is the physics of a fusion reactor?

The physics of a fusion reactor is an active and attractive area of research, with many unsolved problems. The key concept behind the release of energy in fusion (and fission) reactions is binding energy. The binding energy is the energy that is released when a nucleus is created from protons and neutrons.

What is the most efficient shape for the magnetically confined plasma?

The most efficient shape for the magnetically confined plasma is a donut shape (toroid). A reactor of this shape is called a tokamak. The ITER tokamak will be a self-contained reactor whose parts are in various cassettes. These cassettes can be easily inserted and removed without having to tear down…

How much energy is released in a fusion reaction?

Here it is also worthwhile to note that the energy released in a fusion reaction greatly exceeds that of a typical chemical reaction (eV range). Burning 1 kg of a Deuterium / Tritium mixture would lead to a energy release of 3.4·1014J. This can be translated in 3.9 Giga Watt during a period of 24 hours.

Is fusion the answer to the world’s energy needs?

Fusion is a long sought after solution for the world’s energy needs, with the first research starting only shortly after the Second World War. In the early days it was thought that the solution was close at hand. Many problems have, however, since then been identified, and we are still a good distance away from a working fusion reactor.