Fusion power facts for kids
Nuclear fusion is when two atoms merge to form a new one. This reaction generates energy. The idea behind a fusion reactor is to build a nuclear power plant that uses this process to produce electricity. Nowadays, nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce energy. Nuclear fission is not the same as nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fusion is the same type of process the Sun uses to generate heat. The most powerful nuclear weapons also use fusion.
As of 2012, there are no commercial power plants that use this technology; there are a few academic ones; these include the Joint European Torus, in England. This reactor uses a principle called Tokamak. A tokamak uses magnets that are shaped like a doughnut to squish the atoms.
Images for kids
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The Joint European Torus (JET) magnetic fusion experiment in 1991
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Fusion trapping (left) against temperature (bottom) for various fusion approaches as of 2021, assuming DT fuel.
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Plot of NIF results from 2012 to 2021
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Deuterium fusion cross section (in square meters) at different ion collision energies.
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SuperOx was able to produce over 186 miles of YBCO in 9 months for use in fusion reactor magnets, dramatically surpassing the company's previous production targets.
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Early photo of plasma inside a pinch machine (Imperial College 1950–1951)
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Magnetic mirrors suffered from end losses, requiring high power, complex magnetic designs, such as the baseball coil pictured here.
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The Wendelstein7X under construction
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Example of a stellarator design: A coil system (blue) surrounds plasma (yellow). A magnetic field line is highlighted in green on the yellow plasma surface.
See also
In Spanish: Energía de fusión para niños
