Nuclear fusion may be the most compelling energy technology around. That’s mostly due to the fact that it seeks to copy the most powerful process in the universe. But what does that really mean? We have to go beyond an interesting lab experiment and look at the kinds of practical issues a functioning fusion power plant would have to solve.
“Fusion is the process that powers our sun and stars,” explains the Department of Energy. In a fusion reaction, “two light nuclei… fuse together to form a heavier nucleus.” The result of this reaction produces energy. For example, deuterium and tritium can fuse into helium and a neutron, which has a very high energy level. In order to facilitate this reaction and the superheated plasma it creates, researchers have to deal with some very imposing engineering challenges. The fusion process itself is only one aspect of the problem; we have to consider the engineering and technological issues of a power plant as well.
While it’s easy enough to marvel at the potential of a clean, near-limitless energy source, we should also think about the problems that would need to be solved before we could realistically use fusion power. There are plenty of them, and that’s why the Department of Energy studies them. “DOE is pursuing fusion energy science to support present and future fusion energy systems.” The DOE is studying the science and technology involved in making fusion power a reality. The focus is on plasma physics and magnetic confinement, two subjects that fall under the broad category of fusion energy sciences.
As a consumer of electricity, I want something I can rely on. That means looking at a potential energy source from a practical standpoint. The engineering and technological issues are relevant to whether fusion power would be a viable source of energy. It’s one matter of fact to say that it’s a worthy pursuit. It’s quite another to admit that the road from an experiment to commercial electricity production is a long and winding one.
That’s not to knock research and development; a lot of valuable work has been done, and a lot of interesting insight has been gained as a result. From an impartial standpoint, I think that’s the best way to judge the value of something like this. Fusion power is potentially an incredible discovery, but until the experimenters can make it work consistently, it’s still a novelty.