Scientists have made a breakthrough in fusion energy, a quest for limitless clean electricity that could revolutionize the world’s power supply. Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory found a way to prevent material on chamber walls from interfering with the reaction, allowing for more efficient and sustainable fusion energy.
The problem faced by scientists was that tiny pieces of tungsten, which is used in the plasma-containing device called a tokamak, would break off and mix into the plasma, cooling it down too much. This prevented the fusion reaction from running smoothly. To solve this issue, researchers discovered sprinkling boron powder into the plasma, creating a coating on the tungsten walls that keeps them clean.
“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,” said Florian Effenberg, a PPPL staff research physicist. The boron coating works by ionizing the powder at the plasma’s edge, depositing it on the inner walls and exhaust region, and stopping tungsten from radiating away the plasma energy.
This breakthrough could be a game-changer for fusion experiments worldwide, leading to clean, efficient, and abundant electricity. It has the potential to prevent pollution, make energy cheaper, and make it more accessible globally.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/scientists-uncover-saltshaker-breakthrough-quest-101506097.html