In a significant stride toward nuclear fusion, US scientists have made a groundbreaking announcement. Nuclear fusion, lauded as a potential source of virtually boundless clean energy, has long been pursued by physicists. Researchers recently confirmed a pivotal achievement: they generated more energy from a fusion experiment than was invested. The experiment took place at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California.
LLNL director Dr Kim Budil said: "This is a historic achievement… over the past 60 years thousands of people have contributed to this endeavour and it took real vision to get us here." Nuclear fusion, characterized as the "holy grail" of energy generation, emulates the process that fuels celestial bodies like the Sun. It involves the fusion of light atoms, an event that liberates a substantial amount of energy. Differing from nuclear fission, employed in existing nuclear power plants, fusion presents a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable energy prospect.
Dr Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, told the BBC: "Fusion has been exciting scientists since they first figured out what was causing the Sun to shine. These results today really put us on the path to the commercialisation of the technology."
Jeremy Chittenden, professor of plasma physics and co-director of the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London, called it "a true breakthrough moment".
"It proves that the long sought-after goal, the 'holy grail' of fusion, can indeed be achieved," he said. Prof Gianluca Gregori, Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, said: "Today's success rests upon the work done by many scientists in the US, UK and around the world. With ignition now achieved, not only fusion energy is unlocked, but also a door is opening to new science."
Yet, the quest for nuclear fusion on Earth necessitates recreating the extreme conditions found in stars, involving exceedingly high temperatures and pressures. Until now, no experiment had achieved a net energy gain from fusion. While this breakthrough is momentous, formidable obstacles, chiefly concerning cost reduction and enhanced energy output, loom on the path to practical fusion energy. Despite these challenges, concerted endeavors and investments hold the potential to expedite the realization of fusion-powered facilities over the next few decades, signifying a remarkable shift from earlier projections of a half-century or more for fusion's practical deployment.
Source: Stallard, Esme. BBC. "Breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy announced". https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63950962. 13/12/22. [Date accessed: 13/12/22]
Edited by: Aditya Vinjimoor.
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