Nuclear energy is very much in the news again. Our reliance on fossil fuels is shocking, and it’s time that we look at alternatives. Whilst it will take time for renewables such as wind and waves to become established, we need to have energy sources now. With the sanctions against Russia depriving us of some Natural Gas, there is one fuel source that is clearly going to be needed. This is nuclear energy.
Organisations such as the National Nuclear Laboratory, which can be reached at hotrobotics.co.uk/facilities/national-nuclear-laboratory/, are one of the many different agencies that work to further the safe use of this energy source.
The way that power is generated is via nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is a complicated process that can generate a huge amount of power. Once this is unleashed, the energy has to be strictly controlled. Considering it’s the same power surge that is found in the sun, safety is the highest priority.
Fusion occurs when two lighter nuclei merge. They form a heavy nucleus. However, overall, the mass of the nucleus is less than the nuclei. It is this difference in mass that creates energy. Trapping and using that energy is what the industry looks to do. If you want a simple equation for all this, it’s what Einstein was trying to illustrate with his equation E=mc2. The technology for the harnessing of nuclear fusion and our understanding of how the process works is growing year on year.
