Nuclear Fusion Vs Fision

At the speed we are using up fossil fuels, nuclear energy is looking more and more like a possible replacement. Nuclear energy is created in two ways, through nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy atom into two or more parts, releasing huge amounts of energy. The release of energy can be controlled and captured for generating electricity. Nuclear fusion involves bombarding hydrogen atoms together to form helium. In the long run, nuclear fusion has greater potential than fission due to the cost and overall availability of the required isotopes, the higher energy output, and the low levels of residual waste.

The cost and availability of fuel is a considerable factor when dealing with nuclear power. Fission requires an element that can be easily split in a particle accelerator, such as uranium or plutonium. Fusion, on the other hand, uses isotopes of hydrogen atoms, specifically deuterium and tritium, which can be found in all water. Uranium ores are found naturally throughout the world but must go through an expensive purification procedure before used as fuel. The unprocessed ore contains approximately 99.3% uranium-238, a non-fissionable isotope of uranium, and only about 0.7% of U-235 required for fission. One hydrogen atom out of 6700 appears as deuterium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen with an extra neutron, and can easily be separated from the rest. Uranium-235 is a non-renewable resource that will eventually run out, much like the fossil fuels. The abundance of deuterium and lithium provide a virtually unlimited supply of fuel for nuclear fusion. Therefore, nuclear fusion seems to be the better choice.

Second, the potential amount of energy produced by fusion can greatly outweigh the fission. Initially, there are some disadvantages to fusion. The time and money required to develop technology needed to create a successful fusion reaction is costly, but the development is still in its early stages and is expected to continue for decades. Fission readily creates a chain reaction, which must be slowed through use of a moderator to avoid core meltdown, while fusion can only be accomplished at temperatures similar to the center of stars. The components used in fusion exist in the form of plasma where atoms are divided into electrons and nuclei. No solid material known to man can withstand temperatures necessary