![]() ![]() Over the last two years, the NRC staff has been working to assess the risks from different fusion technologies and the possible approaches to regulating them. In 2019, Congress directed the NRC to develop a regulatory framework for advanced reactors, including fusion reactors. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been monitoring fusion energy developments for several years. This scientific breakthrough-the first time that a fusion reaction produced more energy than was used to start the reaction-means that we are one step closer to being able to harness the power of the stars to generate carbon-free electricity with far less radioactive waste than nuclear fission. The scientific community is abuzz about a recent announcement that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists achieved the first energy breakeven from a fusion reaction. Scientists have claimed to be on the brink of cracking nuclear fusion for decades, but hopefully with any luck that promise may finally be coming true.Fusion energy is hot. Start-ups like Helion Energy are also working toward this goal using magnetic coils to compression the reactor core. That said, labs like the U.S.’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) and France’s International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have made progress in recent years with NIF reporting last summer that their reactor was able to generate up to 70 percent of its input energy. However, actually achieving this is easier said than done. In theory, after this initial power push the fusion reactor should then be able to create and sustain even more power than was initially fed into it. One problem facing fusion technology is that in order to create self-sustaining power (a point called “fusion ignition”) it needs to be sparked by a massive amount of energy. However, achieving and controlling fusion has been a lot more difficult for scientists to crack than fission. Unlike fission, nuclear fusion also has the added benefit of being self-sustaining without creating harmful waste. This interaction creates a huge burst of energy that is still burning at the heart of stars all across the universe. two hydrogen atoms combining to form one helium atom). Instead of breaking something apart, nuclear fusion happens when light atoms are smashed together to create a heavier atom (e.g. Unlike its sibling, nuclear fusion has largely been restricted to the realm of science fiction until recently. AI Can Now Control the Plasma in a Nuclear Reactor.MIT, Bill Gates-Backed Startup Partner on Fusion.This Reactor Just Made Fusion Viable by 2030.Companies like NuScale, TerraPower and X-Energy are already hard at work to bring these possibilities to life. For this reason it may be easier in the future to run an SMR in a remote community to create sustainable power or to power a spacecraft using a microreactor. Ranging between the size of a shipping container and a jet engine, these smaller scale reactors are designed to be more nimble than traditional nuclear power plants. Additionally, dedicating large complexes to nuclear power plants may become less popular as small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors come on the scene. molten salt instead of water coolant) and machine learning software incorporated into these plants that make them safer than their predecessors. In recent years there have been advances in both materials (e.g. However, it may be too soon to count nuclear fission out quite yet. remains lukewarm even today, according to a 2022 Pew Research Survey. As a result, public opinion on nuclear energy in the U.S. While nuclear fission may be less damaging to the environment than burning oil or coal, this energy source has faced its own crises in the form of pollution from radioactive waste and deadly meltdowns of aging power plants like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play ![]()
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