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Nuclear Fusion: Bottling a Star on Earth
Context: Nuclear fusion—the process that powers the sun—is humanity’s most ambitious energy dream. It promises clean, limitless, and safe power, but turning that dream into reality has proven to be one of the greatest engineering challenges of our time.
What is nuclear fusion?
- Nuclear fusion is the process in which two light atomic nuclei (usually isotopes of hydrogen such as deuterium and tritium) combine to form a heavier nucleus (helium), releasing enormous energy.
- It is the same process that powers the Sun and stars.
- Energy release occurs because of Einstein’s mass–energy equivalence (E = mc²): a small amount of mass is lost and converted into energy.
How is it different from nuclear fission?
What are the challenges associated?
- Extreme Temperatures: Fusion requires temperatures >100 million°C – much hotter than the Sun.
- Plasma Containment: Plasma must be suspended without touching any material – done via magnetic or inertial confinement.
- Instability of Plasma: Plasma behaves like a boiling liquid – unstable, turbulent, and prone to escape.
- Engineering Complexity: Fusion reactors involve cutting-edge materials, magnets, and control systems.
What is ITER and its significance?
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is the world’s largest fusion experiment, under construction in Cadarache, France, involving 35 countries, including India.
- Based on the Tokamak design, ITER aims to produce 500 MW of fusion power from 50 MW of input—a tenfold energy gain.
- It will demonstrate the feasibility of burning plasma, a self-sustaining fusion reaction.
- ITER is a non-commercial prototype, paving the way for future fusion power plants.
What have been India’s contributions to the project?
India is a key partner in ITER, contributing 9% of the project through in-kind components and expertise:
- Engineering & Infrastructure:
- Cryostat: India designed and built the 30-meter-tall, 3,850-tonne cryostat, the largest stainless-steel vacuum chamber ever constructed.
- Cooling Systems: Supplied cryolines, heat exchangers, and cooling towers to manage extreme temperatures.
- RF Heating Systems: Developed Ion Cyclotron and Electron Cyclotron heating systems to energise plasma.
- Diagnostic Neutral Beam System: Enables monitoring of plasma behaviour and helium ash detection.
- Scientific & Human Capital: India’s Aditya-U Tokamak supports experimental research aligned with ITER goals. Over 200 Indian scientists and engineers are working on-site or through long-term assignments. Indian companies like L&T, Inox India, Tata Consulting Engineers, and HCL Technologies are actively involved in ITER’s construction and assembly.
