US scientists take quantum leap on the road to create nuclear fusion energy for generating power

Researchers at California's LLNL confirmed on Tuesday that they have succeeded in overcoming the major problem of generating power in fusion experiments. They have been able to generate higher energy in a fusion experiment than the energy applied for causing the fusion reaction.

The experiment which cost $3.5 billion, forced a minuscule amount of hydrogen into a peppercorn-sized capsule. For forcing the hydrogen into the capsule, scientists used a powerful 192-beam laser that could generate 100 million degree celsius of heat. The laser beam was hotter than the Sun’s centre and helped to compress the hydrogen fuel to more than 100 billion times that of Earth’s atmosphere. Under the pressure of these forces, the capsule started imploding on itself and leading to the fusion of hydrogen atoms and the release of energy.

Professor of Plasma Physics and Co-Director of the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London hailed it as a breakthrough that has finally proved that the holy grail of fusion can be achieved.




Chittenden pointed out the limitations of the experiment and said that it will take a long time however to be able to use this energy for generating power in homes. Although the experiment could help hydrogen release more energy than put by the laser, it was negligible to the total energy used in making lasers work. The total energy released by hydrogen could only be used to boil about 10 to 15 kettles.

FAQs:

1. What is the future prospect of this experiment?
   According to Chittenden, the Co-Director of the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London, if these experiments are performed once every second then the scientists might be able to utilise this energy for running a power station. Currently, the fusion experiment is being performed on alternate days.
2. Why is nuclear fusion called the holy grail of energy production?
   It is called such because the fusion of pairs of light atoms produces immense energy with very small amounts of radioactive waste, unlike nuclear fission.