The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory built a fusion reactor by 3D printing and using commercially purchased parts. Moreover, it is possible to place the reactor on a kitchen table because it is that small.
This is actually a very simple looking machine. It consists only of a glass tube covered with magnets. The mechanism can continue to work because the hot plasma moving within the magnetic field created by the magnets does not touch the surface. Inside the vacuum tube, guided by magnets, atoms without electrons collide with each other, releasing enormous amounts of energy when their nuclei fuse.
Cheap nuclear energy
One of the impressive things about this reactor is its cost. One of the things holding back the construction of new nuclear power plants is the enormous investment of time and money required to run them. A similar reactor in Germany cost $1.1 billion and took 20 years to build. Princeton’s machine cost $640,000 and was built in less than a year.
On the other hand, the widespread use of nuclear energy so easily and cheaply means that the risk of lethal radiation spreading to the environment in the event of an accident also increases. However, it must be acknowledged that nuclear energy is a clean energy alternative when safety conditions are met. Another detail is that these “mini” reactors are likely to be used as the energy source needed for Mars missions. In fact, mini nuclear reactors are practically used in many submarines and aircraft carriers, but these reactors are not such cheap structures.
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