Is fusion energy even possible?
It is expected that fusion could meet humanity’s energy needs for millions of years. Future fusion reactors will not produce high activity, long lived nuclear waste, and a meltdown at a fusion reactor is practically impossible.
How much energy will the ITER produce?
ITER will produce about 500 MW of fusion power in nominal operation, for pulses of 400 seconds and longer. Typical plasma heating levels duriung the pulse are expected to be about 50 MW, so power amplification (Q) is 10. Thus during the pulse the ITER plasma will create more energy than it consumes.
Will ITER work?
ITER will begin operations with low-power hydrogen reactions in 2025. But from 2035, it will run on a 50:50 mix of deuterium and tritium. Working with tritium poses unique challenges — JET researchers have spent more than two years refitting elements of their machine and preparing to handle the radioactive material.
How far along is ITER?
As of May 2021 ITER is near 75\% complete toward first plasma. Start is scheduled for late 2025….Timeline and status.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Tokamak complex construction starts. |
| 2015 | Tokamak construction starts, but the schedule is extended by at least six years. |
How long will ITER run for?
ITER’s operational phase is expected to last for 20 years: first, a several-year “shakedown” period of operation in pure hydrogen is planned during which the machine will remain accessible for repairs and the most promising physics regimes will be tested.
How does ITER tokamak work?
Inside a tokamak, the energy produced through the fusion of atoms is absorbed as heat in the walls of the vessel. Just like a conventional power plant, a fusion power plant will use this heat to produce steam and then electricity by way of turbines and generators.
What is the status of ITER?
The reactor was expected to take 10 years to build and ITER had planned to test its first plasma in 2020 and achieve full fusion by 2023, however the schedule is now to test first plasma in 2025 and full fusion in 2035.