• Question: what is a fusion generator?

    Asked by 09robiv1 to Robin on 12 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by ruth.
    • Photo: Robin Stafford Allen

      Robin Stafford Allen answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      @09robiv1: A fusion reactor is a machine that produces lots of energy in the form of heat which can be turned into electricity by using it as a boiler to make steam to drive generators. Fusion is the process that keeps the sun hot, as the hydrogen in the sun changes into helium by fusion of the atoms. This releases huge amounts of heat compared to the energy released in petrol or coal. A gallon of petrol drives a car for around 30 miles. A equivalent weight of the hydrogen we use as a fuel, fused into helium, would drive the car for 300 million miles! This is why we want to learn how to make a real fusion reactor work. Regards Robin

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