scholarly journals Clean and Sustainable Fusion Energy for the Future

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 20-42
Author(s):  
Jordan Adelerhof ◽  
Mani Bhushan Thoopal ◽  
Daniel Lee ◽  
Cameron Hardy

Nuclear Fusion energy is one promising source of energy currently in the developmental stages with the potential to solve the world’s energy crisis by providing a clean and almost limitless supply of energy for the entire planet. This meta-study analyses the heating systems, cooling systems, energy output, heating power input, plasma volume, economic impact, plasma temperature, plasma density, plasma confinement time and Lawson’s Triple Product with respect to a variety of different nuclear fusion systems including the Wendelstein 7-X, the Helically Symmetric Stellarator Experiment, the ITER project, Joint European Torus, TFTR, IGNITOR and general information on tokamaks, stellarators as well as magnetic confinement of plasmas. Nuclear fusion is then more generally compared with four non-fusion energy sources, solar energy, wind energy, coal and hydroelectricity in terms of their overall economic impact, energy efficiency and environmental impact. Current global energy sources such as coal, oil and natural gas are briefly discussed with focus on their remaining global supply as well as their impact on the environment; this is contrasted with the remaining fuel supplies for nuclear fusion and fusion’s environmental impact. The result of this meta-study was that we found that fusion power is a long term solution to the energy crisis and so more of a focus needs to be placed globally on working to expand the use of hydroelectric power.

Nukleonika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-206
Author(s):  
Marek J. Sadowski

Abstract This invited paper considers reasons why exact measurements of fast electron and ion losses in tokamaks, and particularly i n a scrape-off-layer and near a divertor region, are necessary in order to master nuclear fusion energy production. Attention is also paid to direct measurements of escaping fusion products from D-D and D-T reactions, and in particular of fast alphas which might be used for plasma heating. The second part describes the generation of so-called runaway and ripple-born electrons which might induce high energy losses and cause severe damages of internal walls in fusion facilities. Advantages and disadvantages of different diagnostic methods applied for studies of such fast electrons are discussed. Particular attention is paid to development of a direct measuring technique based on the Cherenkov effect which might be induced by fast electrons in appropriate radiators. There are presented various versions of Cherenkov-type probes which have been developed by the NCBJ team and applied in different tokamak experiments. The third part is devoted to direct measurements of fast ions (including those produced by the nuclear fusion reactions) which can escape from a high-temperature plasma region. Investigation of fast fusion-produced protons from tokamak discharges is reported. New ion probes, which were developed by the NCBJ team, are also presented. For the first time there is given a detailed description of an ion pinhole camera, which enables irradiation of several nuclear track detectors during a single tokamak discharge, and a miniature Thomson-type mass-spectrometer, which can be used for ion measurements at plasma borders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Batistel ◽  
Jonas de Souza ◽  
Alexandre Vaz Pires ◽  
Flávio Augusto Portela Santos

The use of grazing systems for milk production is widely used globally because it is a lower-cost feeding system. However, under tropical conditions, the energy content of pastures became is a limitation to improve animal performance and efficiency while reducing the environmental impact. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of supplying different dietary sources of energy to lactating dairy cows grazing tropical pastures on the recovery of human-edible (HE) nutrients in milk and the environmental impact. Two experiments were conducted simultaneously. In experiment 1, forty early lactating dairy cows were used in a randomized block design. In experiment 2, four late-lactating rumen-cannulated dairy cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design. All cows had free access to pasture and treatments were applied individually as a concentrate supplement. Treatments were flint corn grain-processing method either as fine ground (FGC) or steam-flaked (SFC) associated with Ca salts of palm fatty acids supplementation either not supplemented (CON) or supplemented (CSPO). We observed that feeding cows with SFC markedly reduced urinary nitrogen excretion by 43%, and improved milk nitrogen efficiency by 17% when compared with FGC. Additionally, we also observed that feeding supplemental fat improved milk nitrogen efficiency by 17% compared with cows receiving CON diets. A tendency for decreased methane (CH4) per unit of milk (−31%), CH4 per unit of milk energy output (−29%), and CH4 per unit of milk protein output (−31%) was observed when CSPO was fed compared with CON. Additionally, SFC diets increased HE recovery of indispensable amino acids by 7–9% when compared with FGC diets, whereas feeding supplemental fat improved HE recovery of indispensable amino acids by 17–19% compared with CON. Altogether, this study increased our understanding of how manipulating energy sources in the dairy cow diet under tropical grazing conditions can benefit HE nutrient recovery and reduce nutrient excretion.


Engevista ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Florian Ion Petrescu ◽  
Relly Victoria Petrescu

We live in a world that although saves energy by developing software however still consume an increasing amount of energy annually. Major energy crises world have caused the repeated political crises, economic, industrial, social, religious, and even military. While fossil energy issue is threatened with exhaustion and the nuclear fission is totally unfriendly, we are at the time when humanity must find new energies, alternative, renewable, sustainable, cost-effective, non-hazardous. Besides solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, tidal, present work comes to propose and other new alternative energy type nano. In turn it proposes the nuclear fusion energy, energy produced from matter and antimatter, and energy produced using high power lasers. After 1950, began to appear nuclear fission plants. The fission energy was a necessary evil. In this mode it stretched the oil life, avoiding an energy crisis. Even so, the energy obtained from oil represents about 66% of all energy used. At this rate of use of oil, it will be consumed in about 40 years. Today, the production of energy obtained by nuclear fusion is not yet perfect prepared. But time passes quickly. We must rush to implement of the additional sources of energy already known, but and find new energy sources. In these circumstances this paper comes to proposing possible new energy sources. The movement of an electron around the atomic nucleus has today a great importance in many engineering fields. Electronics, aeronautics, micro and nanotechnology, electrical engineering, optics, lasers, nuclear power, computing, equipment and automation, telecommunications, genetic engineering, bioengineering, special processing, modern welding, robotics, energy and electromagnetic wave field is today only a few of the many applications of electronic engineering. This paper presents shortly in the last chap. a new and original relation which calculates the radius with that the electron is running around the atomic nucleus. For a Bohr energetically level (n=a constant value), one determines now two energetically below levels, which form an electronic layer. The author realizes by this a new atomic model, or a new quantum theory, which explains the existence of electron-clouds without spin, and promises, that application, construction of some high-energy laser.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1616
Author(s):  
Antonina Rita Limongi ◽  
Emanuele Viviano ◽  
Maria De Luca ◽  
Rosa Paola Radice ◽  
Giuliana Bianco ◽  
...  

The need to safeguard our planet by reducing carbon dioxide emissions has led to a significant development of research in the field of alternative energy sources. Hydrogen has proved to be the most promising molecule, as a fuel, due to its low environmental impact. Even if various methods already exist for producing hydrogen, most of them are not sustainable. Thus, research focuses on the biological sector, studying microalgae, and other microorganisms’ ability to produce this precious molecule in a natural way. In this review, we provide a description of the biochemical and molecular processes for the production of biohydrogen and give a general overview of one of the most interesting technologies in which hydrogen finds application for electricity production: fuel cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 570
Author(s):  
Leandro W. Figueira ◽  
Beatriz H. D. Panariello ◽  
Cristiane Y. Koga-Ito ◽  
Simone Duarte

This study aimed to determine how low-temperature plasma (LTP) treatment affects single- and multi-species biofilms formed by Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Streptococcus gordonii formed on hydroxyapatite discs. LTP was produced by argon gas using the kINPen09™ (Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, INP, Greifswald, Germany). Biofilms were treated at a 10 mm distance from the nozzle of the plasma device to the surface of the biofilm per 30 s, 60 s, and 120 s. A 0.89% saline solution and a 0.12% chlorhexidine solution were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Argon flow at three exposure times (30 s, 60 s, and 120 s) was also used as control. Biofilm viability was analyzed by colony-forming units (CFU) recovery and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Multispecies biofilms presented a reduction in viability (log10 CFU/mL) for all plasma-treated samples when compared to both positive and negative controls (p < 0.0001). In single-species biofilms formed by either S. mutans or S. sanguinis, a significant reduction in all exposure times was observed when compared to both positive and negative controls (p < 0.0001). For single-species biofilms formed by S. gordonii, the results indicate total elimination of S. gordonii for all exposure times. Low exposure times of LTP affects single- and multi-species cariogenic biofilms, which indicates that the treatment is a promising source for the development of new protocols for the control of dental caries.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-167
Author(s):  
Saif Siddiqui ◽  
Sumaira Jan

The Charanka Solar Park, one of the world’s largest multi-developer and multi-beneficiary solar parks, is the hub of solar power production in India. It contributes about 6 per cent to the total solar power production in the country. Although solar power is more expensive than the traditional power in the country, its sheen is still not high to make it a potential source to eliminate energy crisis not just in India but all across the world. Researchers are continuously pushing their envelope to explore as to why solar energy should be adopted over traditional energy sources irrespective of the fact that it is more expensive. The war between its financial and strategic viability is going on. Efforts are being made in the direction of reducing its costs and making it as a financially viable and strategically active option. This case is an attempt in the same direction. We are using Charanka Solar Park as a base to explore if there is any future for such projects in the country. There are projects which are no doubt operational but their long-term viability is truly questionable.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (81) ◽  
pp. 20120984 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Barber ◽  
Phong D. Tran

Demand for energy is projected to increase at least twofold by mid-century relative to the present global consumption because of predicted population and economic growth. This demand could be met, in principle, from fossil energy resources, particularly coal. However, the cumulative nature of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions demands that stabilizing the atmospheric CO 2 levels to just twice their pre-anthropogenic values by mid-century will be extremely challenging, requiring invention, development and deployment of schemes for carbon-neutral energy production on a scale commensurate with, or larger than, the entire present-day energy supply from all sources combined. Among renewable and exploitable energy resources, nuclear fusion energy or solar energy are by far the largest. However, in both cases, technological breakthroughs are required with nuclear fusion being very difficult, if not impossible on the scale required. On the other hand, 1 h of sunlight falling on our planet is equivalent to all the energy consumed by humans in an entire year. If solar energy is to be a major primary energy source, then it must be stored and despatched on demand to the end user. An especially attractive approach is to store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds as occurs in natural photosynthesis. However, a technology is needed which has a year-round average conversion efficiency significantly higher than currently available by natural photosynthesis so as to reduce land-area requirements and to be independent of food production. Therefore, the scientific challenge is to construct an ‘artificial leaf’ able to efficiently capture and convert solar energy and then store it in the form of chemical bonds of a high-energy density fuel such as hydrogen while at the same time producing oxygen from water. Realistically, the efficiency target for such a technology must be 10 per cent or better. Here, we review the molecular details of the energy capturing reactions of natural photosynthesis, particularly the water-splitting reaction of photosystem II and the hydrogen-generating reaction of hydrogenases. We then follow on to describe how these two reactions are being mimicked in physico-chemical-based catalytic or electrocatalytic systems with the challenge of creating a large-scale robust and efficient artificial leaf technology.


10.23856/3304 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-49
Author(s):  
Kateryna Andriushchenko ◽  
Lidiya Shergina ◽  
Vita Kovtun ◽  
Nataliia Revutska ◽  
Andrii Vashchyshyn

The transition to alternative energy sources requires a long period, attracting significant investments in the process of creating and developing environmentally friendly fuels. Creating an environmentally safe, energy-efficient economy is a prerequisite for sustainable development of each country. The above-mentioned factors determine the relevance of the study of the problems of the functioning and development of energy, which is mainly due to the economic expediency of renewable energy and the requirements of the country's energy independence. The objective of the article is to determine the features of ensuring the energy efficiency of the Ukrainian economy using alternative energy sources. Research shows that the development of alternative energy will allow us to move away from the use of traditional fuels and create the prerequisites for the energy independence of countries. Taking into account the natural factors and the significant dependence of Ukraine on imported primary energy sources, it is determined that solving the problem of increasing energy efficiency of the economy is possible only with the stimulation of the use of alternative energy sources. The most promising sources of energy are identified, namely: biofuels, wind energy, geothermal energy, solar energy, solar thermal, controlled thermonuclear fusion, energy of tides and effluents. The recommendations for realization of such directions of the policy of the state regulation in the energy sphere as energy security, energy efficiency, energy saving are given.


Author(s):  
Petro Lezhnyuk ◽  
Iryna Hunko ◽  
Juliya Malogulko ◽  
Iryna Kotylko ◽  
Lіudmyla Krot

Urgency of the research. Current trends of distributed generation development in Ukraine indicate a rapid generation in-crease from renewable energy plants. Most developed countries gradually refuse from the fossil fuels use and invest more and more to the “green” energy. Therefore, there is a need for a detailed study of the operation conditions of distributed energy sources due to their instability, as well as the processes that arise in distribution electric networks with diverse types of distributed energy sources. Target setting. In the producing process of power energy by distributed energy sources due to the increase in their num-ber, there are situations where several renewable sources of energy operate to only one system of buses. Thus, such distributive networks acquire the features of a local power system, which complicates the control process of such systems, and also there is a problem with the electricity supply of consumers. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The analysis of publications suggests that in literature more attention is paid to studying the operating modes of solar power plants, or small hydroelectric power plants. However, almost no attention was paid to the study of their cooperation work. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. Only a few works are devoted to the study of the cooperation of the diverce sources of distributed energy sources in the local electrical systems. That is why, their impact on power distribution networks and on the grid in general has not been studied extensively. The research objective. In this article was considered the influence of asynchronous generators on small hydroelectric power plants on the operation modes of distribution electrical networks, and were investigated the processes that are occurring in local power systems with different types of distributed energy sources. The statement of basic materials. Based on the research results, was developed a computer model of a such system in the PS CAD software environment. Two solar stations and one small hydroelectric power station with an asynchronous generator were connected to the power supply. It was shown the simulation of two modes of operation: a joint operation of a small hydroelectric power station, two solar power stations and a power supply center; a joint operation of a small hydroelectric pow-er plant, two solar power stations and a power supply disconnected. Conclusions. As a result of computer simulation, it is shown that by switching on a small hydroelectric power plant with an asynchronous generator in the case of an emergency shutdown of centralized power supply, it is possible to restore the work of solar power plants, and thus partially or completely restore the power supply of consumers.


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