Power Source of the Future?

Posted by Holly Martin Sep 14, 2007

I appreciate hot water, microwave ovens and electric lighting, especially as the autumn days grow shorter and colder.

So, I really appreciate the scientists and engineers from seven different countries laboring on the ITER fusion energy project. Some of these dedicated professionals may never see the fruits of their labors in terms of watts delivered. They may not experience the particulate-free air or the non-polluted water that their work will someday provide.

Today's nuclear power plants involve the splitting apart of atoms, releasing the strong nuclear force that holds them together. Fusion, on the other hand, happens when two atoms fuse—they combine into one larger atom, releasing a highly energized neutron. This fusion takes place within a plasma, similar to the hot gases that make up the sun.

While nuclear fission plants use uranium fuel, which may some day be depleted, fusion energy plants will rely on one of the most abundant materials on earth—water. If a fusion energy plant explodes, it’s unlikely to harm any civilians because the amount of radioactivity released would be far less than a meltdown at a fission energy plant.

As modern life becomes more complicated, the technologies we rely upon draw us further and further from the “natural life” our ancestors experienced. In the same way, our energy sources of necessity are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Even those “natural energy sources”—solar and wind—rely on highly complex materials and mechanical engineering to produce useful wattage.

That’s why I appreciate the individuals, research laboratories and governments cooperating on the ITER project, who are willing to tackle this long-term, high-risk research, in hopes of providing the energy we need for the future.