helium

The race for fusion power

December 9, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The sun is powered by fusion energy. Hydrogen atoms fuse together into helium atoms, liberating vast amounts of energy in the process. Our understanding of this process emerged early in the 20th century and by the 1950s, research efforts were underway trying to replicate the process on Earth. If it could be done, fusion would be a source of almost unlimited clean energy. But there has been a cynical saying going around for half a century: fusion power is the energy source of the future, and it always will be.

However, in recent years, there has been progress in developing fusion power. Extraordinarily expensive and colossal machines have produced fusion energy albeit consuming more energy than they make. However, for a brief moment in 2022, a fusion reactor at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory did produce more energy than it took to run the machine.

Despite the less than encouraging history, there are now multiple start-up companies dedicated to developing fusion energy and they are optimistic that there will be significant progress over the next few years.

One such company, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, located 40 miles northwest of Boston, is building a fusion reactor called SPARC, that they claim will be producing net energy in 2027. They say that their next machine, called ARC, will generate electricity for paying customers in the early 2030s.

A handful of other companies, including Type One Energy, Thea Energy, Realta Fusion, Zap Energy, General Fusion, and Helion Energy are also pursuing fusion reactor designs and also expect to have machines running over the next 5 to 10 years.

**********

Web Links

The Quest to Build a Star on Earth

Photo, posted April 21, 2015, courtesy of John Spiri via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Balloon release laws

May 27, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The Florida state legislature has recently passed a law that bans the intentional release of helium balloons outdoors. It is a rare example of a bipartisan piece of legislation. Florida is joining six other states that have already enacted balloon restricting laws.

Balloons released into the sky don’t just disappear into the ether. They often end up in oceans and waterways and the thin material that remains is 32 times more likely to kill seabirds than other types of plastic debris. Aquatic animals often mistake balloons for jellyfish and fill up on them. Balloons tied up with ribbons entangle turtles and manatees. Even grazing cows have died from ingesting balloons. Balloons contribute to microplastic pollution, which is a growing problem for all living things, including humans.

Other states with balloon release laws are Connecticut, Tennessee, New York, Texas, California, and Virginia. Details of the laws vary. They carve out exceptions for specific applications. They exempt small children. Some limit the quantity of balloon release. Others require balloons to be weighted down to prevent them from rising too high. California’s legislation is aimed at the metallized mylar balloons that have shorted out high-tension electrical wires and triggered wildfires.

The Florida law equates intentionally releasing a lighter-than-air balloon with littering. It’s a non-criminal offense that carries a fine of $150.

People enjoy releasing helium balloons, particularly en masse. The spectacle has become part of weddings, gender reveal parties, and even funerals. But the practice has serious environmental repercussions, and its restriction is being pursued by more and more states and municipalities.

**********

Web Links

Up, Up and Not OK: Letting Go of Balloons Could Soon Be Illegal in Florida

Photo, posted August 16, 2022, courtesy of Ryan Mandelbaum via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Fusion energy

February 29, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the sun. Two atoms of hydrogen unite to form one helium atom and release energy in the process. Hydrogen bombs work in this way and since their development in the 1950s, scientists have sought a way to use fusion to generate electricity. Many scientists believe that the key to a fully decarbonized future is a combination of solar, wind, and fusion power.

Nuclear fusion does not involve radioactivity and thus does not have the dangers associated with the nuclear fission used in existing power plants. Over the decades, billions of dollars have gone into fusion research, but the challenges faced in peacefully triggering a fusion reaction have made success always seem to be extremely far off in the future.

The world’s largest fusion project – the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor or ITER – was initiated in 1985. The project involves 35 countries, and the reactor, still under construction in France, has yet to deliver any tangible results.

In the past couple of years, there have been important demonstrations of new and different ways to create nuclear fusion. A system using laser fusion achieved fusion ignition, in which a reaction briefly became self-sustaining. A system using magnetic confinement fusion produced a plasma that generated 11 megawatts of power for a world-record five seconds.

There are more than 30 companies competing in the race to deliver fusion energy. Governments and private investors are funding efforts around the world. Whether any of them will succeed remains to be seen. The challenges are immense but so are the potential rewards.

**********

Web Links

Will Tech Breakthroughs Bring Fusion Energy Closer to Reality?

Photo, posted July 31, 2010, courtesy of Steve Jurvetson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio