Presentation briefly talks about Fusion, what is being done and why it is important.

1. FUSION

2. PRESENT CONDITIONS
• Fossil fuels
• Renewable energy resources
• Fission as nuclear energy

3. Why Fusion?
• Pollution and global warming
• Advantages
– No carbon emission
– Helium as only by product
– Deuterium and tritium (sources) are virtually inexhaustible
– No nuclear waste
– Very efficient (1 kg fusion fuel = 10 million kg fossil fuel)

4. What is the reaction?
• Loss of mass and
total binding energy
• E = mc2
• isotopes of
hydrogen, namely
deuterium 2H and
tritium 3H
• Products are Helium,
4He, and a neutron,
with 17.59 Me V
release in the
energy.

5. What’s the problem?
• Positive charge and repulsive effect
• Need of very high kinetic energy
• Plus very high density
• T needed, 2 to 4 x 108 K
• Stars as self sustaining thermonuclear reactors

6. Recent
• Cold fusion
• electrolysis of heavy water on the surface of
a palladium (Pd) electrode
• Recent research over the topic

7. Energy Graph

8. Interview
Me: Why do people hope so much from fusion?
Mr. Sooy: Fusion would be able to generate
unlimited amount of energy with no natural
resource requirement, as fusion components
are available in sea water.

9. Me: Can fusion bring down the prices of
electricity? If yes then by how much?
Mr. Sooy: Well, that depends on the cost of the
fusion reactor. There are fusion reactors but
they are not yet economically feasible.

10. Me: Can you approximately say how long it will
take to create one?
Mr. Sooy: No, I have little idea on time development. I
know they are working on it but when the break
through will come can’t be specified.

11. Me: Any comment over “cold fusion”.
Mr. Sooy: Cold fusion is the idea of causing fusion at
relatively low temperatures. I don’t see how that
would happen. Cold fusion is the equivalent of
alchemy turning lead to gold.

12. Me: What sources will be used by countries that
are not near to sea water, for fusion?
Mr. Sooy: The quantities of energy available are so great
compared to the amount of water needed that you
could easily transport water to any location, even to
locations far from the sea if the reactor can be built
and made operational.

13. Me: After we have figure out fusion reactor successfully,
how much time it will take for the whole world to
adopt it? Especially focusing towards poor countries.
Mr. Sooy: A good question. It depends on who’s coming
up with the money to develop a reactor. If they are
economically feasible, energy can be sold like oil is
now. But, for energy independence, it will be hard for
poorer countries.

14. Me: Do you mean transporting energy through long
wires?
Mr. Sooy: Through the electric grid, yes.

15. Me: Should we look for other alternatives, side by side?
Mr. Sooy: Sure, since fusion may or may not ever
become economically feasible.