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← Older revision		Revision as of 05:28, 3 March 2025
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	[[Category:Fusion power]]		[[Category:Fusion power]]
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			== Fusion power gallery ==
			<gallery>
			File:Scylla I in 1958.jpg\|Scylla I in 1958
			File:Tokamak T-1.jpg\|Tokamak T-1
			File:JET cutaway drawing 1980.jpg\|JET cutaway drawing 1980
			File:PFRC 2 pulse.jpg\|PFRC 2 pulse
			File:EAST Tokamak plasma image3.jpg\|EAST Tokamak plasma image
			File:Sun in X-Ray.png\|Sun in X-Ray
			File:Binding energy curve - common isotopes.svg\|Binding energy curve - common isotopes
			File:Fusion rxnrate.svg\|Fusion reaction rate
			File:Fusion Triples 2021.png\|Fusion Triples 2021
			File:Chart of Fusion Approaches.png\|Chart of Fusion Approaches
			</gallery>

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2024-02-29T04:17:54Z

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'''Fusion power''' is a proposed form of [[power generation]] that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy. Devices designed to harness this energy are known as [[fusion reactors]].

==Fusion reactions==
The fusion of two nuclei with lower masses than iron (which, along with its lighter isotopes, has the largest binding energy per nucleon) generally releases energy, while the fusion of nuclei heavier than iron absorbs energy. The opposite is true for the reverse process, [[nuclear fission]]. This means that fusion generally occurs for lighter elements only, and likewise, that fission normally occurs only for heavier elements. There are extreme astrophysical events that can lead to short periods of fusion with heavier nuclei. This is the process that powers stars, including the Sun, and stellar nucleosynthesis generally results in the net creation of elements with more protons than iron.

==Fusion power plants==
A fusion power plant would have numerous benefits over current fission plants. Fusion releases no [[greenhouse gases]]. The fuel supply—primarily [[deuterium]] and [[lithium]]—is abundant and virtually inexhaustible. And while a meltdown is not possible in a fusion reactor, the process does produce high-energy neutrons.

==Challenges==
Despite the vast potential of fusion power, it has proven difficult to achieve. The main challenge is to sustain the fusion reaction, which requires temperatures of millions of degrees. At these temperatures, matter is in the [[plasma]] state. Containing and controlling this plasma long enough to extract useful power is a major technical challenge.

==Current research==
Several research projects are underway to overcome these challenges. The largest and most well-known of these is the [[ITER]] project, an international collaboration aiming to build a prototype fusion power plant. Other projects include the [[National Ignition Facility]] in the United States, and the [[Joint European Torus]] in the UK.

==See also==
* [[Nuclear power]]
* [[Renewable energy]]
* [[Sustainable energy]]

[[Category:Power generation]]
[[Category:Nuclear technology]]
[[Category:Fusion power]]
{{Energy-stub}}

Fusion power - Revision history

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