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The Japanese National Institute of Fusion Science (NIFS) just made remarkable progress in the field of renewable, clean energy.
With the power of nuclear fusion, researchers at the NIFS have discovered a way to achieve energy efficiency at levels never before seen.
Fusion energy itself entails the combination of two nuclei to form a new nucleus, under the pressure of plasma gases. These gases are so hot that they release the ions within the nucleus, which can then be collected and fused together. Such a process releases energy that is sustainable to use, per the U.S. Department of Energy.
This development provides hope for mitigating a rising energy crisis.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “Fusion … does not create any long-lived radioactive nuclear waste. A fusion reactor produces helium, which is an inert gas. It also produces and consumes tritium within the plant in a closed circuit. Tritium is radioactive … but its half life is short. It is only used in low amounts so … it cannot produce any serious danger.”
This advancement notably built on preexisting knowledge of nuclear fusion.
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When using a heavy ion beam probe, the issue beforehand was that many of the trapped ions being produced would expand before they could all be sent into the accelerator, which could then convert them into energy.
The NIFS scientists looked for “a practical and compact solution,” reconfiguring the problem into an electrostatic lens that could then focus the ionic beam like a magnifying glass, per Interesting Engineering.
Thus, the clarity and efficiency of ion transfer to an energy source were greatly improved.
Such a breakthrough is an exciting development for understanding how renewable fusion energy can be harnessed more easily and implemented more readily.
“Numerical simulations predicted the new voltage configuration could achieve a beam transmission efficiency exceeding 95%,” according to Interesting Engineering, a number easily surpassing previous methods.
The brand-new technology of the electrostatic lens makes fusion a far more plausible source for sustainable, nearly unlimited energy.
Where energy produced by coal and gas consistently releases harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further heating the planet and compromising human health, nuclear fusion provides a clean, clear path forward.
According to the IAEA, “… fusion devices [currently] produce more than 10 megawatts of fusion power … A prototype of a fusion reactor (DEMO) [capable of sustaining commercial needs] is expected to be built by 2040.”
As fusion energy continues to be honed, consumers can look forward to the day that their energy bills drop and air is far less polluted.
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