The real Nuclear energy

When people talk about nuclear energy, they are, by ignorance, lumping all nuclear energy into Fission Nuclear energy. There is another, Fusion, and unlike Fission, it has more potential, and far fewer risks.

Years ago in a Technology Forecasting class, I made a bold prediction that;

there will be commercial fusion power by the year 2000.

I was wrong, to the disappointment of the world. But I did qualify my prediction with the speculation that that first fusion plant would be a converted experimental reactor. And now my prediction may be forming, a bit latter than predicted. But when the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) does manage to get constructed it is expected to become commercially viable. Hence the Moment of truth for nuclear fusion scheme now that the Experts ‘cleared hurdle in fusion research’

Here’s hoping for a Nuclear Fission free past, and a new clean nuclear Fusion future.

2 comments on “The real Nuclear energy

  1. I think that scientists should be thinking about why their giant reactors are not working. There are other methods of getting fusion to work that are cheaper and require less shielding, such as Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion (IEC fusion) as well as other methods that could work, without throwing out billions of dollars to get it to simply attempt break even. Plus, they are ignoring the other sources of energy that can be harnessed from fusion, currently they only consider Neutrons, but neutrons are very dangerous and hard to get electricity from. They could focus on trying to get energy from Alpha, Beta or Gamma rays emitted from certain types of fusion (with certain fuels like Helium-3 or Boron-Hydrogen), which are cleaner and require less shielding. If they keep on doing it the old way it will take them yet another 30 years, plus more money to get anywhere.

  2. There are many ways to get fusion, but size does matter. When it comes to the current energy distribution model currently in commercial use, size does matter. Other forms of small fusion might support a more distributed, a more democratic energy source. But the current commercial interests will probably prevent wide spread use of these forms.

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