The article discusses the significant challenge of tritium supply in realizing the potential of fusion energy. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is essential for the fusion process, as it is one of the two hydrogen isotopes (along with deuterium) that are fused to generate energy.
The key insights from the article are:
Fusion energy holds great promise as a clean and abundant energy source, as it utilizes the same process that powers the Sun. However, fusion reactors have struggled to achieve net positive energy output, as they currently require more energy to fuse the atoms than they can produce.
A major obstacle in achieving viable fusion energy is the limited supply and production of tritium. Tritium is a rare and radioactive isotope, and current global tritium production is only a fraction of what would be needed to fuel a large-scale fusion energy program.
Tritium has a short half-life of only 12.3 years, meaning it decays rapidly and must be continuously replenished. The article notes that the world's total tritium inventory is estimated to be only around 20 kg, which is barely enough to fuel existing experimental fusion reactors.
Increasing tritium production is challenging, as it requires specialized nuclear reactors and complex extraction processes. The article highlights that the development of a reliable and scalable tritium supply is a critical hurdle that must be overcome to make fusion energy a practical reality.
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by Will Lockett um medium.com 05-31-2024
https://medium.com/predict/fusion-energys-has-a-secret-achilles-heel-af913f6b30d0Tiefere Fragen