Scientists are getting closer to functioning, sustainable fusion energy, and they've just taken another big step: finding a way to prevent material on the chamber walls from interfering in the reaction, Interesting Engineering reports.
Scientists were facing a problem. A fusion reaction needs superheated plasma to work. Experiments have revealed that tungsten is a durable material that is good for containing that plasma, and the plasma-containing device — called a tokamak — was built with tungsten walls.
However, when a fusion reaction runs inside a tungsten tokamak, tiny pieces of tungsten break off and mix into the plasma — these tiny bits cool down the plasma too much, preventing the reaction from running.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have found the solution, Interesting Engineering revealed: sprinkling boron powder into the plasma and allowing it to form a coating on the tungsten walls.
"We've developed a new way to understand how injected boron material behaves in a fusion plasma and how it interacts with the walls of fusion reactors to keep them in good condition while they are operating," Florian Effenberg, a PPPL staff research physicist, said in a press release about the discovery, per Interesting Engineering.
Joseph Snipes, deputy head for Tokamak Experimental Science, explained in depth how the boron coating works. "The boron is sprinkled into the tokamak plasma as a powder, like from a saltshaker, which is ionized at the plasma's edge and then deposited on the tokamak's inner walls and the exhaust region," he said, per Interesting Engineering. "Once coated with a thin layer of boron, it will stop the tungsten from getting into the plasma and radiating away the plasma energy."
This could be a huge deal for fusion experiments around the globe, which could lead to what has been called the "holy grail" of clean, efficient, abundant electricity. That's a game-changer not just for preventing pollution but also for making energy cheaper and more accessible for people worldwide.
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