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FactSheet

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What is Fusion Power?

Introduction

Fusion is the same process that powers the sun.

Fusing two hydrogen atoms releases enormous amounts o energy the result o the worldsmost amous equation, E=mc2. Te energy released rom that usion reaction could be usedto generate electricity, just like any power plant operating today.

Fusion holds the promise o providing a nearly inexhaustible supply o energy.

Even better, no pollutants or greenhouse gases are emitted, and there is no threat o a nuclearmeltdown like there is with the nuclear ssion reactors o today.

Fusion is clean, sae, secure and abundant, and it will completely revolutionize the worldsenergy system when commercialized.

Why do we need usion?

Te U.S. relies upon a range o energy sources to uel itseconomy. But, the current energy mix contributes to cli-mate change, which presents national security concerns

or the United States.

Scientists estimate that global greenhouse gas emissionswill need to peak and decline over the next ew decadesto deal with the climate crisis. Current energy technolo-gies can contribute, but ully scaling-up low-carbontechnologies will require technological breakthroughs.1

Incremental improvements will not solve the climateproblem; phasing out greenhouse gas emissions rom

Americas economy will require transormational change

in energy technologies.

Tere is broad agreemean all o the above stra

energy. We need new bpower that is carbon-ree.

nuclear power can meebut we will also need r

and development intechnologies. American lea

is on t

ASP Board MGov. Christine odd Wh

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Fusion has the potential to meet the needs o tomorrows economy by providing carbon-ree base lopower.

As a source o cheap, abundant, base load power, usion could be harnessed or more than just electrity, including a range o industrial processes.

It is not an exaggeration to say that usion power would revolutionize Americas economy.

Te Benefts o Fusion

Energy rom usion produces no greenhouse gases or air pol-lutants. Only clean power is generated during usion.

Fusion does not rely upon a chain reaction. Unlike nuclearssion, there is no chance o a runaway reaction that could

lead to a meltdown. In the event o an equipment ailure, thesmall amount o uel available stops reacting instantly andthe plant cools automatically. 2

Fusion produces energy by using together two hydrogen iso-topes deuterium and tritium. Tese two isotopes are virtu-ally inexhaustible.3

Deuterium comes rom ocean water, and tritium, thoughlimited today, will be produced rom lithium as a byproduct

o the reaction. Fusion thereore holds the promise o com-plete energy security.

Te only byproducts o the usion process are helium and aast neutron, which carries the heat to make steam, meaningthere is none o the long-lived radioactive waste produced byconventional nuclear ssion reactors.

Te positive spillover eects o the U.S. usion program arealready being elt. Fusion scientists are making advancements

in superconductors, super-power lasers, new high-efciencysemiconductor light sources, large and small-scale robotics,and supercomputing and modeling.

Te U.S. continues to all bin its scientic competitiv

As one major example, reinto usion power coul

to sae, afordable, cleansustainable energy,. Ye

nations such as China and Korea are pushing much h

than we to commercialize

I we dont set it as a na

priority ourselves, we danger o losing this rac

ASP Board MeNorman R. Augu

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Approaches to Fusion

By pushing together and using two hydrogen atoms, enormous amountso energy could be produced, which is at the heart o the worlds mostamous equation, E=mc2. Te heat energy released rom a usion reactioncould be used, like power plants today, to spin a steam generator to make

electricity.

Tere is important progress being made towards this goal rom the twomain approaches to usion energy magnetic connement usion andinertial connement usion. Both approaches have plans to commercializeusion energy in the coming years.

Magnetic Confnement Fusion (MCF)

With MCF, magnetic elds conne a hot plasma in a donut-shaped

machine called a tokamak.

Plasma is a hot gas that is needed to orce hydrogen atoms to usetogether.

Once the atoms use together, energy is released, which can beharnessed to produce electricity like ordinary power plants.

Te leading magnetic usion energy institutions in the U.S. arelocated at MI, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and General

Atomics.

Inertial Confnement Fusion (ICF)

Inertial connement usion uses lasers to heat and implode a uelpellet, which contains hydrogen.

Te National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Caliornia is the leading ICFacility in the world.

Te NIF is working towards achieving ignition - producing moreenergy out than is put in.

Ater the NIF proves ignition is possible, the next step is to build aull-scale demonstration power plant.

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Further Reading

WHIE PAPER: Fusion Power A 10 Year Plan to Energy Security

Factsheet: Inertial Connement Fusion at the National Ignition Facility

Map: Fusions Reach Across America

Nick Cunningham is a policy analyst at the American Security Project, a non-prot, bipartisan public policy anresearch organization dedicated to ostering knowledge and understanding o a range o national security issues

Endnotes

1. Davis, S., Cao, L., Caldeira, K., & Hoert, M. (2012). Rethinking wedges. Environmental Research Letters, 1-8.

2. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. (2012). Fusion Advantages. Retrieved October 2012, rom PPPL web site: http://wwpppl.gov/usionadvantages.cm

3. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. (2012). Fusion Advantages. Retrieved October 2012, rom PPPL web site: http://wwpppl.gov/usionadvantages.cm

http://americansecurityproject.org/?p=13377http://americansecurityproject.org/featured-items/2012/inertial-confinement-fusion-at-the-national-ignition-facility/http://americansecurityproject.org/issues/climate-energy-and-security/energy/fusion2020/about/fusions-reach-across-america/http://americansecurityproject.org/issues/climate-energy-and-security/energy/fusion2020/about/fusions-reach-across-america/http://americansecurityproject.org/featured-items/2012/inertial-confinement-fusion-at-the-national-ignition-facility/http://americansecurityproject.org/?p=13377