Chapter 3 The Energy Source Nuclear Fusion Reactors英文电子书.pdf

57 CHAPTER 3 TH E ENERGY SOURC E - NUCLEA R FUSIO N REACTORS Research can continue the 20-year trend toward greater plasma confinement times, densities and temperatures, leading to the full set of ignition parameters by the mid-1990s. Harold P . Furth, Physics Today March 1985, page 53 Potential future energy sources were discussed in Chapter 2. The Fusion Energy source was shown to possess the most desirable characteristics for the base load application. This chapter will address the nature of the fusion reaction and the equipment used for the production of energy. There are several types of reactors with promise. These will be described to provide insight into the type of reactor potentially available as the basis for future energy systems. TH E FUSIO N REACTIO N Energy is released by nuclear reactions between light atoms at temperatures of millions of degrees. This process is called thermonuclear fusion because high temperatures cause light nuclei to fuse together to produce heavier nuclei. For example, in the center of stars four hydrogen atoms (atomic number 1) react to produce one atom of helium (atomic number 2) . In the nuclear fusion process, the weight of the hydrogen consumed is more than the weight of the helium atoms produced. The mass difference is converted t