Fusionssysteme

Fusionssysteme, also known as fusion power systems or fusion energy systems, refer to the technologies and processes designed to harness the energy released from nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is the process where two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speeds and fuse to form a new, heavier nucleus. This process, which powers stars, releases a significant amount of energy.

The primary challenge in developing fusion systems is achieving and sustaining the extreme conditions necessary for fusion to occur. This involves heating a plasma, an ionized gas, to temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, and confining it long enough for fusion reactions to be self-sustaining. Two main approaches are being explored for plasma confinement: magnetic confinement, where strong magnetic fields are used to contain the hot plasma, and inertial confinement, where powerful lasers or particle beams compress and heat a fuel pellet to initiate fusion.

Fusion systems aim to provide a clean and virtually limitless energy source. The fuel, typically isotopes of hydrogen like deuterium and tritium, is abundant. Fusion power plants are expected to produce minimal long-lived radioactive waste compared to current nuclear fission reactors, and the risk of a runaway chain reaction or meltdown is considered negligible due to the inherent physics of the process. While significant scientific and engineering challenges remain, research and development in fusion systems continue globally, with experimental reactors like ITER aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a practical energy source.