Inside JET: The world's biggest nuclear fusion experiment | On Location

Inside these walls, scientists have been trying for decades to create an unlimited source of energy, nuclear fusion. Welcome to JET, the world's biggest nuclear fusion experiment.

Scientists argue that fusion could replace coal gas and nuclear fission in the energy mix alongside renewable energy, which can prove to be unreliable. If we can learn to control it, nuclear fusion could change life as we know it. But that's a big if.

#WIRED #NuclearFusion #NuclearReactor


Follow WIRED:


Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

ABOUT WIRED
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture.

[hardcre]

We can se fusion in nature, therefore it can, and will be done. My grandfather was one of the engineers who started the project at JET. I have recently started my engineering education and maybe I can follow to play my small part in solving the worlds greatest problem. Much respect to these men and women of science who dedicate their life’s so maybe one day humanity can move on to the next step of advancement.

[Chyrre]

Amazing to imagine that just next decade we will be a decade away from another decade!

[Valkyrie]

Renewables will not make fusion unnecessary due to the lack of easy ramp-up to meet demand and unsteady yield, they'll be best for stalling until we actually do figure out fusion, and then humanity will pretty much be set.

[DantalionNl]

JET is 2.9 meters in radius while ITER is 6.8, please explain how JET is 'bigger'

[troybabs]

Hmmm... well, there is always molten salt reactors.

[DJAYPAZ]

For nuclear fusion to become a viable terrestrial power source, two goals need to be achieved. The first is obviously to sustain a fusion reaction for extended periods of time. Second, the energy gain of the fusion system needs to be sufficiently high to justify the investment required to build, run and maintain the system. Given the predicted time frames to fully develop fusion power, the transition to renewable energy resources will be far more advanced thus making the its’ economic viability less certain.

[kkmardigrce]

With our energy needs constantly rising, and with the number of people doing the same, renewables have no chance to meet it all. Either fusion comes in decades or we'll most likely start building new fission reactors. The threat of a nuclear disaster will sooner or later become a minor worry compared to changing Earth climate and the disasters that will follow.

[joep]

I was going to visit JET in march but sadly corona prevented this, hope to visit one day :)

[michaellim]

South Korea achieved world record 20 seconds of nuclear fusion in its Kstar machine. Their goal is 300 seconds by 2025.

[russhamilton]

Fun fact, JET lied about its efficiency by not including 700MW of power it was tapping into. It was not 67 perceived efficient but 2 percent.

[estevanortega]

Perhaps we should invest more into this tech.

Future generations will be glad that we did :)

[MissingLink]

It’s about power density. With an increasing population. We can’t keep sacrificing space for solar and wind. Plus we need vast amounts of battery storage for renewables which are wasteful and damaging to the environment. It’s better to look for nuclear powers such as fission and fusion that meet our needs with smaller carbon footprints and actual spatial footprints.

Also fusion isn’t just about energy, it’s about creating elements too and expanding our knowledge of quantum physics

[dmenace]

MSR Molten Salt Reactor fission reactor does not produce as much nuclear waste like its old high pressure counterpart. It’s radioactive half life (Thorium) is much lesser as well..

[aakashsuryi]

Please someone explain to me how can JET get 10 times hotter than the surface of the sun without evaporating the reactor core & every thing around it in seconds?!?

How is it even scientifically possible??!?

[bsaxon]

2:23 plasma is not energy. Plasma is a state of matter - where some electrons are removed (or free) which result in gas ions (which are now positively charged and thus able to be influenced by the magnets).

The energy released is electromagnetic radiation.

[FromTheNard]

this was good because it showed what the goal is with fusion power and then presented the obstacles.

[Annibals]

*...10 times hotter than the sun*
Wait did I hear that right

[NPipsqueak]

I would like to see a comparison of the benefits, disadvantages and technical hurdles for fission (uranium and thorium based) and fusion. These technologies have been around for long enough for us to do a SWOT ( Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to look at the relative viabilities of these technologies.

[Fogmeister]

On the sun we have a temperature of only 15 million degrees.

😂

“Only”

[colin]

Star Citizen might finish after fusion is done.