Showing posts with label Tokamak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tokamak. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2021

Fusion power is far away in the future.




Image: Pinterest


Originally, the image above this text portrayed a donut-shaped space station called "Stanford torus". But it can also portray the donut-shaped power satellite, that uses the "Tokamak-type" nuclear reactor. This type of power station could deliver energy to the futuristic space stations that orbit Jupiter and other planets in the distant future. 

The power satellites or zero-gravity conditions can solve some of the problems of the fusion reactor. The zero-gravity conditions are making it easier to control the high-energetic plasma. That orbits in the donut-shaped reactor. 

At the beginning of this text, I must write about one of the most futuristic solutions for energy production. That thing is the energy satellites. The giant power stations that are orbiting Earth and deliver energy to the ground by using radio, laser rays, or targeted microwaves. The problem with those satellites is that they are easy to turn to weapons. And powerful microwaves or laser rays can turn the city to ash. 

Another problem with that kind of power station is that their size is extremely big. If we want to make the solar-power satellites that are delivering energy to the entire Earth. The size of the solar panels would be enormous. Of course, there would be a large group of those satellites but the project would be enormous. 

The power satellites can equip with a fusion reactor. That thing can position far away from Earth and in the case of accidents that don't danger things on earth. The fusion system requires large wings. Ahat can shine the thermal radiation to the space. Also, if the power satellites are equipped also with solar panels that thing can also use solar energy. 

Originally the idea of the orbiting nuclear power plants introduces to use of fission reactors. The idea was that nuclear power plants are orbiting the moon, and in the case of accidents the radioactive debris would drop to the moon. 

There is introduced an idea to make the hybrid system, where the microbes are producing methane.  The orbiting power stations don't always need nuclear reactors. Also, conventional fuels can use. 

Methane is useful for the turbines that are in those satellites. That methane production system was originally made for Mars crafts and Mars stations. But it can use also in orbiting power stations. And the hybrid system where the solar power can connect with methane turbines or fuel cells can make those satellites smaller. 

The idea of the system can base the idea that the exhaust gases will travel through filters where oxygen is separated and reused in the methane burning system. That kind of system can also use at asteroid belts and deep space missions. 


https://scitechdaily.com/using-microbes-to-make-martian-rocket-biofuel-on-mars/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-based_solar_power

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_torus





The problem with fusion energy is the intensive heat. 


In the fusion system, the temperature is billions of degrees of celsius. That means controlling that system is extremely difficult. There is the possibility. In the case of problems, the control system doesn't have enough time to cut the fuel transfer in the system. And that can cause an explosion. Also if the plasma with billions of celsius would be released in nature that thing can destroy large areas around that leak. 

In the fusion reactors, the high-temperature plasma is hovering in the donut-shaped chamber where the magnetic field is pushing it away from the walls. And even a short-term touch with the wall of the chamber can cause that the plasma will impact with air. The temperature of that plasma is higher than in the nucleus of the sun. 

And that means it's extremely dangerous even without radioactive radiation. The thermal impact would be destructive. There is the possibility that the infrared radiation from the plasma is pushed back by using counter-radiation. But those systems are extremely futuristic. 


https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/fusion-power-future/


Image:https://interestingengineering.com/the-tokamak-reactors-and-how-they-influence-nuclear-fusion


https://visionsofbrightfuture.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 12, 2021

The fusion rocket can open a road to interstellar space at least to Alpha Centauri.



Above: The artist's impression of Bussard ramjet. Theoretical interstellar spacecraft which uses fusion engine for travel across space. A major component of an actual ramjet – a miles-wide electromagnetic field – is invisible. The craft will pull ions in it by using that magnetic field. Press them to high pressure and then ignite the fusion by using lasers. (Wikipedia/Bussard Ramjet)

The interstellar spaceflight will not make by using manned spacecraft. The craft that will travel to Alpha Centauri will be the unmanned probe. The probe will control by complicated artificial intelligence that allows independent operations at 4,36 light-years away from Earth. 

That means that the system requires a quantum computer for driving that complicated code. And the realistic speed requirement for that probe is about eight years to Alpha Centauri. If the craft reaches 50% of the speed of light. The messages from the distance will travel to Earth 4,36 years. And making that transmission requires extremely powerful data transmission. 

And the frequency of that data transmission must be so unusual. That is not disturbed by the cosmic radio background. So the crystals of the transmitting and receiving circuits must be made by using some artificial nuclear isotope. In that case, the artificial nuclear isotope like Moscovium (Element 115) can cause the oscillation that makes the unique maser-transmission frequency. 

The use of laser as a quantum channel protects the message. The message travels in the channel that is created by using a hollow laser ray. 

In that case, the system can use the hollow laser ray, where the maser message travels inside that laser ray. This system protects the message from outside effects. And the data transmission system can use the communication laser and radio maser communication at the same time. There is the possibility that the probe will pull the laser ray behind it for keeping contact with Earth. 

Or the communication happens by using superpositioned and entangled particles. Which allows real-time- remote controlling over distances. In that case, another particle will superposition in the craft. And the other side is that the quantum stick is in the communication center. That allows making the strick between Earth and the craft. When another side of the superpositioned and entangled particle pair is moving the other side is moving too. And that thing makes it possible to communicate in real-time across huge distances. 

And the system operates in that exoplanet system by using sub-probes. The target of that futuristic mission would be Alpha Centauri itself and Proxima Centauri where is the confirmed planetary system. Maybe we are done with that mission by the year 2100. Technology is advancing so fast that maybe our grandchildren or their children are seeing the images from that exoplanet system. 

The problem for the fusion reactor is similar without depending they are commercial powerplants or fusion engined rockets. The self-sustaining fusion that gives 100% energy that is pumped in the fusion reaction is not enough. The reactor should give 105% or more to give electricity to the city or the spacecraft. If there is only 100% of power output there is no power for the systems that need electricity. The first attempt to make the model of the fusion rocket was "Project Daedalus". 

Or the very first project, which goal was another star was modified "Orion-craft". The original "Project Orion" planned to make the rocket that travels through space using nuclear bombs for making thrust. In the last version, fission bombs replace by neutron bombs. Those bombs are stored in the tanks and then explode series behind that craft. In some versions, the machine gun which uses plutonium-lithium bullets would shoot behind the Orion craft through the laser rays which will detonate them. 

Project Daedalus was the study project by the Interplanetary society for mapping the problems of interstellar traveling. Its purpose was to make a theoretical model of the interstellar rocket that was used existing technology. The goal of that theoretical project was Alpha Centauri. In that time the 1970s no known planets were orbiting Alpha Centauri, and the Daedalus left as a piece of paper.

The engine of "Daedalus" planned to use Helium 3-based nuclear fusion that was ignited by using laser rays. The problem was that the fuel stored in the tanks was not enough. For its planned mission for traveling to alpha Centauri by speed of 20% of the speed of light. 


The Bussard ramjet was the idea that could solve the fuel problem of the Daedalus and Orion. 


Theoretical Bussard ramjet is one of the most promising solutions for the interstellar rocket. The system can pull ions inside it. And then those ions are used from the fusion engine. If that fusion engine can create all power that this hypothetical spacecraft concept needs it can travel forever. 

There is the possibility to connect the antimatter factory to the interstellar fusion engine. The system can create antimatter in the craft by using electron flow which turns to positrons by chancing their spin. And then the system can use the positrons as the "turbo boost". Those anti-electrons can shoot to the fusion, and that will increase the energy load of that engine. 

Making a fusion-powered rocket engine is somehow easier than making the commercial fusion power plant. The fusion thruster for the spacecraft can base the Tokamak-reactor. The fusion thruster can use the fission reactor as an assistant for making the missing power. And if the system can create 70% of the energy that is loaded in it. The fissioning system must create only 30-35% of the missing power. The power supply system of the spacecraft must create more power what is required for self-sustaining nuclear fusion because the electric systems of the spacecraft must also feed by energy. 

The fusion rocket would use the hybrid version of the Tokamak fusion reactor. The high-energetic plasma is orbiting in the Tokamak also pumps energy to the plasma beam. That travels through that reactor. The system can connect with Bussard-ramjet. The Bussard ramjet travels in space and pulls the ions inside it by using the magnetic pulling system. Then those ions will press together for a plasma beam, which is ignited by using electromagnetic radiation. 

The Tokamak fusion rocket thruster would be simply the Tokamak reactor where is the channel for the high-energetic plasma that is conducted through that channel. The speed of plasma is accelerated by using a magnetic accelerating system. The plasma which mission is to push the spacecraft ahead will be driven through the middle point of the plasma ring of the Tokamak, and that will increase the symmetric energy pressure to the plasma. The plasma would also get more heat from the lasers, which are increasing the energy level of that plasma, which is traveling through the heating system. And the purpose of that thing is to ignite the fusion reaction in the plasma. 


()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet


()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscovium


()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus


()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)


Image()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet

Nuclear fusion would be a perfect energy source if it would work.



The image above this text portrait the plasma ring in the Tokamak-type fusion test reactor. The breakthrough in fusion power is that the fusion system will give back 70% of the energy that is used to ignite the fusion. That is the key to create the commercial and self-sustaining fusion reactor. 

Nuclear fusion is one of the most promising energy sources in the world. But the problem is how to make it create more energy than the ignition system pumps in there. The ignition of the fusion system happens by using laser, microwaves, and pressing the plasma with the magnetic field. The purpose of a magnetic pressurizer is to pressurize the plasma which will be ignited by using lasers. 

In some systems is used friction of the opposite moving plasma rays for boosting the energy level. There is also possible to increase the power in the ignition point of the fusion material by shooting it with ions that have opposite polarity. Or the ions with opposite polarity will shoot against each other. That thing will boost the energy level of the impact point and then increase the possibility of making the fusion. 

Natural fusion happens in stars. And it should be possible also on Earth. But the problem is how nuclear fusion is made in practice? Stars have thousands or even millions of years to start nuclear fusion.  In nature, that thing happens when the cloud of dust and gas is starting to rotate. And the friction rises temperature so high that it can begin the spontaneous fusion. The thing that starts fusion in the stars is temperature and pressure. 

In the Tokamak-type reactor, plasma is orbiting the nucleus in the ring-shaped accelerator. The mission of the magnetic system is just to keep the high-energetic plasma away from the wall of the fusion accelerator. 

In some other experimental systems, the reactor is like a ball. The fusion material will inject into the middle of the ball. And then there is targeted electromagnetic radiation. The last system is used in NIF (National Ignition Facility). The purpose of the NIF is also nuclear weapon development. 

The reason why the fusion reactor requires extremely high temperature. Is that the system must compensate the pressure in the nucleus of the stars by rising temperature. The problem is that creating the needed temperature requires energy. And if we want to make the fusion reactor the system must create more energy than it is used for the ignition. 

The temperature of the plasma is billions of degrees celsius. And that means the core of the fusion reactor will melt. So the system would use the pulse-type nuclear reaction. That means the plasma ring of the Tokamak-reactor is ignite in a short period. Then the pressure will get lower and the fusion shuts down. Then the process will repeat. The problem is that every pulse of the nuclear fusion should create more energy than the ignition needs. 

When the temperature of the plasma is rising extremely high level it will also transfer heat to the core of the reactor. And before the second fusion blink, the temperature must get lower because structures must stand the heat. And sooner or later there must keep a longer break in the power product of the fusion reactor. 



()https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/05/26/british-scientists-in-world-first-fusion-power-breakthrough/


()https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2021/08/20-fusion-energy-future-timeline.htm#:~:text=Fusion%20breakthrough%3A%2070%25%20yield%20from%20input%20energy%20The,%28ICF%29%20device%20and%20contains%20the%20world%27s%20largest%20laser.


()https://www.sciencealert.com/what-is-nuclear-fusion


()()https://wci.llnl.gov/facilities/nif


()https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokamak_Fusion_Test_Reactor


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