How much energy does fusion release?
Each D-T fusion event releases 17.6 MeV (2.8 x 10-12 joule, compared with 200 MeV for a U-235 fission and 3-4 MeV for D-D fusion). On a mass basis, the D-T fusion reaction releases over four times as much energy as uranium fission.
What are the cons of nuclear fusion?
List of Cons of Nuclear Fusion
- It is extremely difficult to achieve. In stars, strong gravitational forces and high temperatures naturally create a fusion environment.
- It produces radioactive waste.
- More research and brainpower is needed to solve its issues.
- Its practical energy returns are still quite unreachable.
Why is nuclear fusion so difficult?
Because fusion requires such extreme conditions, “if something goes wrong, then it stops. No heat lingers after the fact.” With fission, uranium is split apart, so the atoms are radioactive and generate heat, even when the fission ends. Despite its many benefits, however, fusion power is an arduous source to achieve.
Is there nuclear waste from fusion?
Does Fusion produce radioactive nuclear waste the same way fission does? Fusion on the other hand 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.
How hot is a fusion reaction?
Fusion requires temperatures greater than 15 million degrees Celsius; many reactors top 100 million degrees. That’s hot enough to melt anything solid, so confinement requires something other than a wall.
What are the problems with creating fusion?
But fusion reactors have other serious problems that also afflict today’s fission reactors, including neutron radiation damage and radioactive waste, potential tritium release, the burden on coolant resources, outsize operating costs, and increased risks of nuclear weapons proliferation.