3 ms·
The lack of major radioactive waste is a plus, only the pipes and stuff inside the core of the reactor will have radioactive elements due to neutron activation.
by ok_dad 4y ago
The lack of major radioactive waste is a plus, only the pipes and stuff inside the core of the reactor will have radioactive elements due to neutron activation. The only waste from it otherwise is helium (and tritium, which is re-used in the reaction later).
- rosywoozlechan 4y agoisn't helium valuable? seems like a good "waste" to produce
- Apocryphon 4y agoSafe airships for all!
- OJFord 4y agoYeah that's GP's point by the 'only'. It's 'waste' as in a byproduct. It's part of the reason fusion's so sought after - it doesn't result in anything bad or that has to be carefully sequestered. (Apart from extraordinary heat I suppose. Perhaps there's an argument the actual reactor would always be a pretty risky place. But any incident isolated at least, worst case a remote industrial building burns down beyond economical repair.)
- DennisP 4y agoThe temperature is high but the amount of heat is no different than other thermal power plants. The atoms move very fast, but there aren't many of them.
- pfdietz 4y agoVery little will be produced. Indeed, a fusion reactor may leak more He from its cryo system than it creates.