The need for more and more energy has been a problem for all of human history. The “Energy Crisis” has become especially important in modern times due to the increasing effects of climate change. To solve this problem, scientists have started looking for new energy sources that are less harmful to the environment, the most promising of which is the energy contained within the atoms around us.
Currently, nuclear power plants use fission to produce electricity. Fission uses the energy released from the natural decay of uranium. Energy is released as little chunks of the uranium atom break off. Those little chunks then collide with other uranium atoms, causing chunks to fly off of them, continuing the process. The energy released is then used to boil water into steam which spins a turbine connected to an electrical generator. While this method is very efficient, it has its challenges.
(Bazurov, E. (2024). 3D illustration of a tokamak fusion reactor [Image]. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/fusion-reactor#/media/1/222821/285486)
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nuclear power plants create radioactive waste material that needs to be specially stored for anywhere from a few hours to millions of years. This waste could damage the environment and is potentially dangerous to humans if not stored properly. However, this waste may be more useful than it seems. The International Atomic Energy Agency is currently investigating the possibility of industrial “fast” nuclear reactors. These reactors would be capable of reusing expended fuel. These reactors would not only be able to reduce the amount of nuclear waste, they would also be significantly more efficient. While the idea of nuclear power without waste may seem too good to be true, it's not! Countries all over the world have these types of reactors under development, including Russia, China, India, and the United States.
Another promising development in nuclear energy is fusion-based power. The International Atomic Energy Agency defines nuclear fusion as combining two lighter atoms into one heavier one. The IAEA also claims that fusion power could be four times more efficient than fusion power, and they would only need isotopes of hydrogen to function. So why don't we switch over already? The biggest problem with fusion power is that it needs extremely high temperatures and pressures to occur. While we can recreate these conditions in labs with high-powered lasers and particle accelerators, sustaining an actual fusion reactor proves significantly more difficult.
One of the best examples of what an industrial-size fusion reactor might look like would be the Joint European Torus (JET) reactor, located in the UK. This reactor creates the conditions needed for fusion using magnetic fields to accelerate particles to incredible speeds. This reactor is known for not only being one of the few capable of creating net positive energy in fusion reactions but also for having produced the most energy in any fusion reactor to date. Unfortunately, the JET was decommissioned in December of 2023, but the data gathered from it is being used to build a larger, more specialized reactor called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, planned to be active by 2025.
With all of the negativity in the media around climate change, it's easy to think that humanity will burn itself out with our increasing need for energy. But as we can see, solutions are just over the horizon. Of course, the energy crisis won't be solved overnight as soon as nuclear power becomes safe and efficient, but it’s a potentially planet-saving first step. While it’s going to take a lot to separate our society from fossil fuels, new developments in nuclear power will bring us one step closer to a carbon-free future.
About the Author
Jacob is a Junior at Northwood High School who enjoys playing the saxophone and learning new things. He hopes to study to become a particle physicist after graduation.
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