What is the difference between tokamaks and stellarators?
In the tokamak, the rotational transform of a helical magnetic field is formed by a toroidal field generated by external coils together with a poloidal field generated by the plasma current. In the stellarator, the twisting field is produced entirely by external non-axisymmetric coils.
What are the advantages of a fusion reactor over a fission reactor?
Abundant energy: Fusing atoms together in a controlled way releases nearly four million times more energy than a chemical reaction such as the burning of coal, oil or gas and four times as much as nuclear fission reactions (at equal mass).
What are the advantages of the fusion method?
The potential advantages of nuclear fusion energy are manifold, as it represents a long-term, sustainable, economic and safe energy source for electricity generation. Fuel is inexpensive and abundant in nature, while the amount of long-lived radioactive waste and greenhouse gases produced through fusion are minimal.
What are the advantages of fusion as a power source over fission?
While fission is used in nuclear power reactors since it can be controlled, fusion is not yet utilized to produce power. Some scientists believe there are opportunities to do so. Fusion offers an appealing opportunity, since fusion creates less radioactive material than fission and has a nearly unlimited fuel supply.
How do tokamaks work?
In a tokamak, magnetic field coils confine plasma particles to allow the plasma to achieve the conditions necessary for fusion. A central solenoid (a magnet that carries electric current) creates a second magnetic field directed along the “poloidal” direction, the short way around the torus.
What are the advantages of fusion over fission for electricity generation quizlet?
Nuclear fusion is more promising than fission as an energy source because it produces more energy per given amount of fuel. Fusion fuel is more abundant, and fusion reactions generate no hazardous radioactive waste. Fusion’s major drawback is the extremely high temperature needed to initiate the process.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fission?
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power stations
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Very low fuel costs. | Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic. |
| Low fuel quantity reduces mining and transportation effects on environment. | Public perception of nuclear power is negative. |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of energy sources?
Disadvantages of renewable energy resources
| Energy Resource | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroelectric power stations | Clean and cheap to run | Expensive to set up and output could be affected by drought |
| Solar cells | Clean and cheap to run | Not always sunny and output does not always outweigh initial cost to set up |
What’s the difference between nuclear fission and fusion?
The main difference between these two processes is that fission is the splitting of an atom into two or more smaller ones while fusion is the fusing of two or more smaller atoms into a larger one.
How does inertial confinement fusion work?
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a fusion energy research program that initiates nuclear fusion reactions by compressing and heating targets filled with thermonuclear fuel. Sufficiently powerful shock waves can compress and heat the fuel at the center such that fusion occurs.
What is the difference between a tokamak and a stellarator?
A better confined plasma loses less energy; therefore confinement is key to reaching stustained fusion. Both tokamaks and stellarators use a strong toroidal (doughnut shaped) magnetic field to confine a plasma. The crucial difference is in the topology of the magnetic field created by the coils.
What are the advantages of a stellarator?
Stellarators have several advantages over tokamaks, the other main technology that scientists are exploring for fusion power. Stellarators require less injected power to sustain the plasma, have greater design flexibility, and allow for simplification of some aspects of plasma control.
Are stellarators the future of fusion energy?
Stellarators may offer an alternative to the tokamak as a future way to produce fusion energy. Stellarator research is also important to help scientists better understand foundational plasma theory. The FES program is particularly looking at how to improve the magnetic fields that control the plasma in stellarators.
Why do MHD instabilities become an issue for reactor tokamaks?
Therefore, active control of MHD instabilities becomes a serious issue for reactor tokamaks. In contrast, for stellarators the avoidance of the toroidal plasma current brings great advantages. The MHD instabilities are usually absent due to no or little net plasma current.