Fusion Energy Production by Deuterium Particle Injection

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This visualization was created using simulations run on the supercomputers at the National Center of Computational Sciences and shows the expected operation of the ITER fusion reactor. This reactor is currently being built by a global coalition in Cadarache, France and is expected to begin the first experiments in 2020. To produce fusion reactions, the fuel must be heated to a temperature of over one hundred and fifty million degrees -- more than ten times the temperature of the sun's core. An initial plasma is formed and heated by driving an electric current through the fuel gas in the tokamak chamber. When the plasma reaches a sufficient density and temperature, the injectors are turned on. These very energetic beam ions are trapped by the magnetic field and circulate throughout the plasma, colliding with the plasma particles and transferring energy to them. As the temperature of the plasma rises, reactions between the plasma deuterium and tritium begin to occur.

This research used resources of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.

[eath]

s060340 explained the correctly. Another example to this is how the space shuttles' propulsion system maintains cool temperature for itself to not melt. the cool liquid gasses (oxygen and hydrogen) is injected across the lining of the combustion chamber keeping that lining cool so it doesnt melt. the flames are at about 3300 C

[hope]

What material would be used to contain plasma at 150m degrees? What wouldn't melt at that temperature?

[JamisonDanielORNL]

Regarding power failures, floods, etc. ITER is licensed by the French equivalent of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Safety Authority. As part of the licensing process, all potential accident scenarios are evaluated to ensure that the public and operating staff are safe.

[osnick]

Deuterium is abundant in the Philippines.The Philippines has the greatest amount deposit of deuterium.

[bryanzhong]

I understand a nuclear explosion is impossible; however, is there not always the risk of conventional explosions from a quenching electromagnet, or a mechanical failure that allows the plasma to vent out briefly?

[acquiesce]

For the most part, true. However, if the magnetic containment flux drops at or just after fusing initiation, the super heated plasma has the possibility of exploding, but as with the fusion reaction itself, unlike fission, there are no harmful byproducts from the reactions, only useful isotopes (medical tech) and possibly other elements formed too.

[JSDudeca]

Great that this is in progress. Kinda late but at least its moving.

However, in the meantime, we still must investigate LFTR Thorium cycle reactors for the near term as Fusion energy is still very far away from real world application. Some technologies learned in the thorium cycle reactors can be used effectively in Fusion such as liquid salt distribution systems for heat transfer. The economics of Thorium cycle just makes sense

We should not distracted by the sloppiness in the Nuclear power industry to date. With proper research and standards, we can raise the bar significantly.

[luxintenebrislucet]

Great video, good choice of music by the way. I wonder how it happens that Czech symphony orchestra plays in american scientific visualization... :D (I'm Czech)

[JamisonDanielORNL]

The orchestra recording is provided by Musopen. Musopen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on improving access and exposure to music by creating free resources and educational materials. They provide recordings, sheet music, and textbooks to the public for free, without copyright restrictions. Many of these recordings are performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

[Pjembo]

Aren't deuterium and tritium the 2 basic ingredients for a hydrogen bomb?

[TheLihirr]

Fusion still has a long way to go. That's partially the reason why we don't see them everywhere. But it's quite too early to conclude that it isn't worth it. In addition, ITER is not a commercial reactor; it is experimantal reactor. True, neutron will damage itself if there is no advance in that field. People will look into this and try to find 'iter', the way.

[amitakartok]

D-T fusion, while being the easiest to maintain and producing the most energy, also neutron-activates the reactor casing. Building a tokamak out of a heat-resistant material is one thing, same material also resisting a continuous bombardment of high-energy neutrons is another thing entirely. That's why D-T fusion is considered a stepping stone towards neutron-free types of fusion, such as D-He3 (although that one requires an extraterrestrial source of helium-3, Earth barely having any of it).

[JamisonDanielORNL]

The electrical power needed to operate ITER will be supplied by the French grid. ITER is a pulsed machine with a small duty cycle and does not have any energy recovery built in. A part of the longer term program is to begin the testing of individual modules that could be the prototypes for future power recovery systems.

[Peads]

Same as most other power stations. The plasma heats up water which turns into steam and is used to drive turbines.

[HobbyBots]

It will actually be contained by a powerful magnetic field. Great question.

[winstonsmith]

How many orders of magnitude are they still short in plasma density, temperature, and containment time? Until they succeed in producing something viable for commercial use (how many decades away?), LFTRs please.

[s]

The 150 million degrees is only at the core of the plasma. At the edge tempereatures will 'only' be some thousand degrees or so at max. The material that will be used in ITER for the Divertor plates (the part of the wall that gets most of the heat) will be Tungsten, this is the same material they use to make filaments in light bulbs (before the EU banned them for their inferior efficiency)

[bananaboatmofo]

unfortunately most of us will not be alive when this technology goes commercial...but it will be for future generations to take advantage of it

[spacefreeman]

Fusion reaction in plasma will generate intense neutron radiation. Neutrons will collide with atoms of thermal blanket, thus heat it up. This heat will be taken away by some sort of heat carrier. It may be water or some liquid metal like sodium.

[proaerro]

is the facility powered by third party power? Are the magnets containing this plasma electric magnets? If so i was wondering what would happen if this thing was running at 150m degrees, and there was a power failure, or flood or something. Then what happens.