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A naive question - if this kind of reactors start producing more energy than consuming, what kind of fuel would they need? AFAIK the Sun slowly burns hydrogen i
by dgudkov 11y ago
A naive question - if this kind of reactors start producing more energy than consuming, what kind of fuel would they need? AFAIK the Sun slowly burns hydrogen into helium. Does it mean that stellarators would only need hydrogen to operate? That would be basically free energy.
- aqme28 11y agoFusion reactors typically use some combination of Deuterium (heavy Hydrogen) and Tritium (super heavy Hydrogen), though sometimes also use Helium-3, Lithium or Boron.
- sounds 11y agoDifferent isotopes of hydrogen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion#Process https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion#Process
- Tuna-Fish 11y agoFusion reactors can use different fuels based on how good they are at containing plasma. Right now, almost all research is directed towards the easiest possible fuel that requires least powerful containment, that is, Tritium (H3) and Deuterium (H2). Deuterium can be separated from water, and Tritium can be bred from Lithium using waste neutrons. T+D is inexhaustible, but also quite expensive as both separation and neutron breeding are relatively expensive. However, as a fusion reactor consumes tiny amounts of fuel per unit of energy, a T+D reactor could potentially still run profitably. If we get better at containing plasma, other fuel choices become available. Most important being Boron + Hydrogen, which would be inexhaustible, cheap, and produces minimal neutrons during fusion, making it easier on the equipment. However, free fuel doesn't mean free energy. The cost of all nuclear power, including current fission power, is utterly dominated by the capital cost of equipment.