this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2023
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Discussion question- do folkx here consider nuclear clean and/or green? (self.energy)
submitted 1 year ago by Nirile to c/energy
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As the title says, I'm interested in this community's perceptions on nuclear energy.

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[–] perestroika 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Fusion: yes, when eventually feasible.

Fission: maybe. It has high energy density. But uranium ore is very thin and needs to be refined a lot. Storage of spent fuel is problematic. Generally, it costs a whole lot. Even if I consider it green, I don't see it solving the most pressing problems - setting up nuclear energy is slow.

[–] Nirile 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If fusion were ever to be feasible, would it also need to used mined uranium, or are there other fuel sources?

[–] perestroika 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Current fusion (thermonuclear bombs) require a fission bomb trigger to start fusion in a lithium deuteride body, but reactors - absolutely not.

Fusion reactors do one of the following:

  • use magnetic fields and electrical current to contain + heat a ring tritium (hydrogen isotope) plasma to extreme temperatures
  • use a laser pulse to compress + heat a capsule of tritium to extreme temperatures
  • use a magnetic field and electrical current to collide two rings of helion (helium isotope) plasma at extreme velocities

Short version: fusion needs fission only in warfare.

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