On November 1st, 2012 Forbes released an article entitled “The Global Race for Fusion Power”. The article’s author, Michael Kanellos, provides an overview of fusion power, the global race to achieve commercial fusion, and the challenges facing its development. Explained in the article:

Fusion remains the ultimate energy source. In a hypothetical fusion reactor, deuterium and tritium (heavy isotopes of hydrogen containing neutrons) is extracted from water, and then converted into helium, releasing water and heat in the process. The heat is then be harvested to produce steam for turbines in power plants, similar to how a gas or nuclear plant work today.  In fact, other than the fusion engine, a fusion power plant resembles any other plant.

The global competition to achieve a sustained fusion reaction has intensified in the last few years, with scientists in China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, all working to find a breakthrough. Although it is a competitive atmosphere, the scientists often work together.

The challenges facing fusion vary from technical challenges (recreating the conditions that occur at the center of the sun) to funding and political clout.

Although fusion has received support from both sides of the political aisle, funding for R&D remains far more challenging in the U.S. now than it decades, or even a few years, ago. The New York Times recently suggested Congress take a hard look at continuing it, considering the annual operating budget comes to $290 million. (The cumulative budget for NIF exceeds $3.5 billion, money could have been used to for farm subsidies or weapons systems that will never go into battle.)

If funding drops, researchers will migrate to other projects overseas, Moses said.

While many remain skeptical of fusion as Ed Moses, Principle Associate Director of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), says “good ideas don’t die”.

To read the full article click here.

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