IN SEARCH OF ECO-

FRIENDLY ENERGY

Chandramouli Rotti, ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India

Contents Energy usage

Global energy needs

Sources of energy

Fossil fuels

Biomass energy

Hydro energy

Fission energy

Fusion reaction

Fuels for Fusion reactor

Fusion power plant

Working together for Fusion research

Features of fusion energy

Summary

Transportation Electricity for lighting Cooking gas

Energy usage

We use different sources of energy

•To meet our basic needs

•To increase our comfort levels

What are different sources of energy

Coal, Oil, Natural gas, Nuclear, hydro and others

The technology progresses-- comfort level increases-- energy

demand increases

Energy consumption from each individual is increasing by rapid rate

Increasing world population

Ever increasing demand of energy

Different sources of energy are needed to cater this ever growing need

Global Energy Needs

Modern man

Energy for basic

needs and comfort Primitive man

Energy for basic

needs

Sources of Energy

Are they inexhaustible ?

Are they environment friendly?

Fossil

Fuels Uranium-

235

Biomass-

wood,

agricultural

and animal

waste

Moving

water

Types of source

Years of exhaustion

Coal

220

Gas 60

Oil 40

Fossil Fuels (Coal, Gas and Oil)

Availability

Environment impact

•Burning of fossil fuels produces large amount of CO2 which causes increase in

greenhouse effect leading to global warming

•Burning of fossil fuels produces acidic gases such as sulphur dioxide

and nitrogen oxide.

Thermal power station -Conversion

of coal into electricity

The natural fuel formed deep under the earth from the pre-historic remains

of living organisms is called fossil fuel.

Biomass energy Biomass, is a biological material derived from living, or recently living

organisms, such as

wood, agricultural waste, and waste materials of animals

Availability

Environmental impact

Biomass fuel is renewable i.e. Can be renewed by taking up plantation.

Biogas can be steady source of energy as large population of cattle and farm

animals provide animal dung

Burning biomass fuels does not produce pollutants like sulphur, that can cause

acid rain.

Use of biomass fuels in a well managed, sustainable production programme will

not contribute to carbon dioxide levels that cause global warming.

Hydro energy

Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is

derived from the energy of moving water, which may be harnessed for

useful purposes.

Availability Water resources like rivers are not evenly distributed in every part of

the world.

It is clean, renewable and non polluting and

also prevents floods.

No green house threat

Dams pose threat to fish populations

The ecosystems of rivers and streams are

disrupted.

Environmental impact :

Fission Energy

Availability

Environmental impact

Kaiga Nuclear power station –

Conversion of nuclear energy

into electricity

Uranium is a dense metal found at an abundance of 2.8 parts per million in the

Earth's crust. Practically it is long lasting.

The amount of energy per unit amount of

fuel is very high.

Nuclear reactors do not produce carbon

dioxide.

Nuclear waste management is a big

challenge

Safety measures are required to avoid

radiation hazards

Fission energy is released when a heavier atom like Uranium is split into

smaller nuclei.

Can we ever have safe eco-friendly and inexhaustible source of energy

Yes why not… Fusion energy is a

potential candidate for safe eco-friendly and

sustainable energy source

Now let’s see what is fusion energy all about

Fusion is the process in which two lighter nuclei combine to release enormous energy.

Fusion is the energy source of the

universe. In stars like our sun, hydrogen is

fused to helium, at a temperature of about

150 million degrees Celcius.

Fusion energy

Fusion reaction

Nuclei needs very high temperature to fuse. Temperature of ~150million degrees! Is needed.

Fusion reaction

Fusion is the process in which two lighter nuclei combine to release enormous energy.

Fusion reaction

Fusion is the process in which two lighter nuclei combine to release enormous energy

Nuclei needs very high temperature of 150 million degrees to fuse

What happens to the matter at high temperatures of ~150 million degrees!

Heating to

millions of

degrees

Fusion reaction

Atoms themselves fall apart into

free nuclei and free electron –

This state is called PLASMA –

THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER

Water is source of Deuterium

Water is abundant in nature-

Practically inexhaustible !

Lithium is source of Tritium

Lithium is abundant both in

earth’s crust and sea water

Practically inexhaustible !

Fuels for Fusion Reactor

Fuels

Electricity

Fusion Power Plant

Fusion experiments

JOINT EUROPEAN TORUS (UK)

JET, the Joint European Torus, is the largest fusion experiment and has

successfully achieved fusion power.

However, The commercial exploitation of fusion energy is yet to be

realized.

Seven Countries are presently working together to

have fusion power dream come true

ITER machine to be built in

France

Working together for Fusion Research

Features of fusion energy

•The fuel for fusion reactions are readily available. Deuterium and

Tritium are virtually inexhaustible.

•Unlike the burning of coal or other fossil fuels, fusion does not emit

harmful toxins into the atmosphere. Hence it doesn’t contribute to

global warming.

•Nuclear fusion has no problems of dangerous by-products(nuclear

wastes) as in case of fission reaction. The only by-product is helium

that is harmless.

Neutrons generated in fusion reaction cause activation of the

materials used. However, proper choice of low activation materials

can reduce the radio toxicity.

Summary

Conventional fossil fuels are exhaustible and other non-conventional sources are inadequate, alternate sources of energy are needed to be considered.

Though Fission energy is a solution, it has problems of nuclear waste and potential radiation hazard.

Fusion energy option is a potential candidate for future energy source, which is clean, safe and sustainable.

International research efforts are being implemented to achieve fusion power.