There are some serious disadvantages to nuclear fusion. We can mention radioactive wastes, high-energy-density, cost-competitive energy, and more. But nuclear fusion can also be important, and scientists are still looking for ways to make it. They may have a great idea for making the entire process possible, and even at low-cost.
Futurism.com tells us that scientists from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Scientists claim to discover a cheap way of making nuclear fusion possible. More fusion power than ever was produced in a laboratory. One hundred very powerful laser beams were shot at the same point, resulting in the deformation of mirrors used for producing the lasers themselves.
Going back to an idea from 1997
The Chinese scientists needed less powerful beans and on a lower budget. They turned back to an idea from 1997 of the Chinese physicist Zhang Jie, and it may surprise you. Small gold cones shooting hydrogen plasma to one another will be in the trajectory of weaker lasers. Once the precise parameters occur, a fusion reaction occurs.
As for the final cost, it will be “extremely small – if not negligible – in the future operation of the power plant,” according to Zhang Zhe’s statements for SCMP, meaning the experiment’s lead researcher. He also added for the same publication:
A small grain of gold can make thousands of cones.
There’s a race to achieve fusion power, and it’s understandable.
An anonymous nuclear fusion scientist stated for the SCMP:
It is difficult to predict which approach or which country will win the race at this stage. There are too many uncertainties ahead,
But in the end, different technologies, different nations may need to unite as one to bring fusion from dream to life.
Apart from the new findings, we know that fusion power is able to generate electricity by exploiting heat generated by nuclear fusion reactions.