Unlimited Power: Dream or reality?
3 minutes read
Now the question is if we can get unlimited energy from nuclear fusion then why not to use it? Production of energy from nuclear fusion is like creating a mini Sun on the surface of the earth. The problem is, to produce this mini Sun, a very high temperature is needed. And again, to contain this small Sun in a confined region, a very high magnetic field is required. Both of the above require a lot of energy which exceeds the energy generated during fusion. That’s definitely not a profitable business!
Difficulty level: Easy
Power cuts and burning heat during summer make us all wish for never-ending electricity. The scientific community also desires the same for everyone. It is trying to find a way to produce unlimited power using nuclear fusion. Will unlimited power be just a dream or become a reality? 
As a kid, if you ever watched āDragon Ballā then you might remember that when two powerful persons combined, they produced more power, call it the fusion of two people.
As a kid, if you ever watched āDragon Ballā then you might remember that when two powerful persons combined, they produced more power, call it the fusion of two people. One of the processes by which we can produce energy known as nuclear fusion is no different. Here two lighter nuclei like hydrogen or helium fuse together to produce energy. Sun or any other star produces energy in a similar process. The Sun radiates a large amount of energy every second and has been radiating for billions of years. But, where does this energy come from? Nuclei, the core of atoms, are positively charged structures as they contain positively charges proton(s). They repel each other when brought close enough due to electromagnetic forces.
How to overcome the electromagnetic repulsion?
For the nuclei to fuse together they must overcome the electromagnetic repulsion. To overcome such a repulsion, a charged particle needs to have high enough kinetic energy. The high kinetic energy comes from high temperature, temperature greater than 100 million degrees Celsius. At this high temperature and suitable pressure, two lighter nuclei combine to produce heavier nuclei. Mass of the heavier nuclei is always less than the mass of lighter nuclei combined. This difference in mass is what we receive as energy. Thanks to Einstein’s energy-mass equivalence relation, E=mcĀ², we understand how it works!
If we can get unlimited energy from nuclear fusion then why not to use it?
Now the question is if we can get unlimited energy from nuclear fusion then why not to use it? Production of energy from nuclear fusion is like creating a mini Sun on the surface of the earth. The problem is, to produce this mini Sun, a very high temperature is needed. And again, to contain this small Sun in a confined region, a very high magnetic field is required. Both of the above require a lot of energy which exceeds the energy generated during fusion. That’s definitely not a profitable business!Scientists are trying to overcome these hurdles. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), France, National Ignition Facility (NIF), USA, Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX), USA, are few of multiple experiments that are aimed to produce fusion energy.Ā India is not behind in the race. India is a part of international collaboration ITER. It is an experimental facility, aimed to be the largest nuclear fusion reactor in the world. A lot of effort is being put forth so stay tuned, unlimited power may not be a thing of a distant future.
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