What state of matter is used in fusion reactors?

Most of the matter in the universe is in the plasma state. At the core of experimental fusion reactors is a high-temperature plasma. Fusion occurs between the nuclei, with the electrons present only to maintain macroscopic charge neutrality.

Is nuclear fusion commercially viable?

Scientists appear to have solved the exhaust problem for compact fusion power plants, making them more economically-viable. They have developed an exhaust system that can deal with the immense temperatures created during the fusion process and which so far have limited the viability of commercial fusion power plants.

What is nuclear fusion classified as?

Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the release or the absorption of energy.

Are there any nuclear fusion reactors?

The ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project currently under construction in Cadarache, France will be the largest tokamak when it operates in the 2020s. The Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a tokamak which is reported to be larger than ITER, and due for completion in 2030.

What pressure is needed for nuclear fusion?

about 250 billion atmospheres
The pressure, which is about 250 billion atmospheres at the Sun’s core, squeezes the nuclei so that they are within 1 fm (10−15 m) of each other.

Do we have fusion reactors?

The amount of energy produced from fusion is very large — four times as much as nuclear fission reactions — and fusion reactions can be the basis of future fusion power reactors. Plans call for first-generation fusion reactors to use a mixture of deuterium and tritium — heavy types of hydrogen.

Is nuclear fusion safer than fission?

Fusion: inherently safe but challenging Unlike nuclear fission, the nuclear fusion reaction in a tokamak is an inherently safe reaction. This is why fusion is still in the research and development phase – and fission is already making electricity.