The Fusion Breakthrough

The Experiment

In a research laboratory located in Livermore, California, lies the world’s most powerful laser system. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility is 10 stories in height and on December 5, 2022, made history. But much like Orville and Wilbur Wright’s airplane, this scientific breakthrough may take years to realize the importance of what occurred.

On December 5, at approximately 1:00 a.m., 192 laser beams heated and compressed a capsule of hydrogen isotopes to what were previously unattainable temperatures and pressure. The experiment created the worlds first fusion reaction and produced more energy than the laser beams had delivered. The experiment, if even for a brief second, produced energy that exceeded the entire U.S. power grid, and reached densities, temperatures, and pressures that are higher than the center of the sun. “The milestone, known as fusion ignition is unprecedented, according to the department (of Energy),” as reported by Aylin Woodward and Jennifer Hiller of The Wall Street Journal.

Researches at the lab have been studying nuclear fusion for over a decade. The primary goal of a fusion reaction is to produce a net gain of energy. This has always eluded scientists. But the experiment conducted on December 5, produced 3.15 mega joules of fusion energy, compared with 2.05 mega joules of energy used to trigger the reaction. “The total power out was around 150% of the power that was put in by the 192 laser beams,” according to NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel.

Yes, the goal of energy gain [producing more energy than what is used] has eluded scientists for decades. But on December 5, researches in lasers, nuclear and plasma physics, precision-target fabrication, instrumentation and high-fidelity computer modeling, helped draft and tackle the holy grail of energy, fusion.

Fusion vs. Fission

Fusion is reliant upon the smallest atom, hydrogen. Energy is released when two hydrogen nuclei combine to produce a helium nucleus and a neutron. Fission, on the other hand, releases energy when a uranium nucleus is split into two radioactive fragments. These fragments carry energy when they come apart.

Fusion does not produce radioactive fragments and therefore is ‘cleaner’ then fission, wich fragments are radioactive. We use fission technology in today’s nuclear power plants. The use of nuclear power is very controversal because of the byproduct, which can be used to make nuclear weapons. Also, the risk of a nuclear disaster is always a possibility to neighborhoods that rely on fission [nuclear] power. Although, these risks have been reduced with current nuclear technology.

Fusion seems like the holy grail of energy because of how clean it burns, and the idea of energy gain, is very attractive. However, even though the experiment of December 5 produced the effect needed to prove that fusion energy can be created here on Earth, it is much harder to produce a net energy gain. The hydrogen nuclei must be heated to almost 100 million degrees Celsius to quash the electrical repulsion that impedes their reaction. To give you an idea, stars and the sun run on fusion energy. So, we must create the conditions of stars or the sun to obtain fusion energy. Not an easy undertaking.

The Milestones to Pass

Josh Zumbrun outlined three major milestones that must be present in order for fusion technology to be efficient. The first milestone is called the scientific break-even point. The December 5 experiment broke this threshold.

The second milestone is engineering break-even point. This occurs when “the entire fusion reactor produces more energy than it consumes.” Mr. Zumbrun reports that while the experiment of December 5 did produce more energy than it consumed, the end result was not satisfactory enough for some scientists. In other words, the experiment produced 3.15 mega joules of fusion energy, compared with 2.05 mega joules of energy used to trigger the reaction. The return must be more satisfactory to prove it worthwhile.

Finally, the third milestone is of course the commercial and business aspect of fusion. It is entitled the economic break-even point. There are more than 30 commercial companies that are forging ahead in fusion technology, most of them are U.S companies. France and China are building comparable facilities to create fusion. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States has taken the lead in fusion technology. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is quoted as saying, “This is what it looks like for America to lead, and we’re just getting started, we will go down in the history books.”

The Future of Fusion

There is no doubt that fusion technology is an alternative to burning fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gases. Just think, we could reverse the human footprint. Yes, it is an answer to the global climate and energy crisis. However, the technology is decades away. Kimberly S. Burdil, Director of Lawerence Livermore, provided an opportunistic time line. “Probably decades! Not six decades, I don’t think. I think not five decades, which is what we used to say. I think it’s moving into the foreground and probably, with concerned effort and investment, a few decades of research on the underlying technologies could put us in a position to build a power plant.”

Science can be funny. Scientific breakthroughs can be hysterical. Sometimes, the general public does not recognize when scientists achieve the unthinkable or the unimaginable. The experiment conducted on December 5, 2022, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is such the case. After all, we are unlocking the power of the sun, much like Orville and Wilbur Wright unlocked the power of flight.