Nuclear Fusion: Wendelstein 7-X

Scientists in Germany have made significant progress in developing nuclear fusion, a technology that could provide clean and limitless energy, similar to how the Sun produces energy.

Using the Wendelstein 7-X reactor, they sustained a fusion plasma for 43 seconds, setting a new record.

What is Nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction when two light atoms join together to make a heavier atom, releasing a lot of energy. This is the same process that powers the Sun and other stars.
The fusion of hydrogen nuclei is the source of the Sun’s energy.”
Deuterium and tritium undergo nuclear fusion releasing vast amounts of energy.”
The hydrogen bomb is an example of man-made (artificial) fusion.
Significance
- It does not cause pollution or carbon emissions.
- It produces more energy than regular nuclear power (fission).
- It makes very little radioactive waste.
- It is safer and has no risk of explosion or meltdown.
Challenges of Nuclear Fusion
- Extreme Conditions: Achieving nuclear fusion requires extremely high temperatures (over 100 million degrees Celsius) and sustaining them.
- Net Energy Gain: The biggest challenge is to produce more energy than is consumed to create and sustain the fusion reaction. Most current reactors haven’t achieved this yet.

About Wendelstein 7-X

It is the world’s largest operational stellarator, a type of fusion reactor, Located in Greifswald, Germany.

Feature	Stellarator	Tokamak
Magnetic Control	Uses external magnets for plasma stabilization	Passes high current through plasma to generate the magnetic field
Plasma Stability	More stable due to external control	Less stable than stellarators, requires active current to maintain stability.
Design Complexity	More complex but enables long-term stability	Simpler design but harder to maintain stable reactions
Potential for Power Plants	Better stability for commercial energy production	Needs improvements for continuous energy generation

Uses powerful external magnets to contain superheated plasma inside the reactor.
Significance of the Achievement
- Closer to Power Plants: Achieving such a high triple product during long plasma pulses brings stellarators closer to becoming a viable option for power plants.
- Long-Term Stability: Stellarators are known for their complex design, which offers better long-term stability compared to tokamaks (another type of fusion reactor that uses magnetic fields to confine superheated plasma in a donut-shaped chamber), making this record especially important.

Create Table………

Feature	Nuclear Fusion	Nuclear Fission
Definition	Lighter atomic nuclei combine to form heavier nuclei.	A heavy atomic nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei.
Process	Merging of atoms (e.g., hydrogen isotopes)	Splitting of atoms (e.g., uranium, plutonium)
Starting Materials	Light elements (e.g., isotopes of hydrogen like deuterium and tritium).	Heavy, unstable elements (e.g., Uranium-235, Plutonium-239).
Products	Generally produces stable, non-radioactive products (e.g., helium) and neutrons.	Produces radioactive fission products, often with long half-lives.
Conditions	Requires extremely high temperatures (millions of degrees Celsius) and pressures to overcome electrostatic repulsion.	Can occur at lower temperatures; typically initiated by neutron bombardment.
Natural Occurrence	Occurs naturally in stars (like our Sun).	Does not occur naturally on Earth in a sustained way; used in nuclear power plants and weapons.

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