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Good article explaining the diff between fission and fusion

 

https://nuclear.duke-energy.com/2021/05/27/fission-vs-fusion-whats-the-difference-6843001

 

Fission takes place when a large, somewhatunstable isotope (atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons) is bombarded by high-speed particles, usually neutrons. These neutrons are accelerated and then slammed into the unstable isotope, causing it to fission, or break into smaller particles. During the process, a neutron is accelerated and strikes the target nucleus, which in the majority of nuclear power reactors today is Uranium-235. This splits the target nucleus and breaks it down into two smaller isotopes (the fission products), three high-speed neutrons, and a large amount of energy. This resulting energy is then used to heat water in nuclear reactors and ultimately produces electricity. The high-speed neutrons that are ejected become projectiles that initiate other fission reactions, or chain reactions.

fission

 

Conversely, fusion takes place when two low-mass isotopes, typically isotopes of hydrogen, unite under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature. Atoms of Tritium and Deuterium (isotopes of hydrogen, Hydrogen-3 and Hydrogen-2, respectively) unite under extreme pressure and temperature to produce a neutron and a helium isotope. Along with this, an enormous amount of energy is released, which is several times the amount produced from fission.

 

fusion

 

Both fission and fusion are nuclear reactions that produce energy, but the processes are very different. Fission is the splitting of a heavy, unstable nucleus into two lighter nuclei, and fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine together releasing vast amounts of energy. While different, the two processes have an important role in the past, present and future of energy creation.

 

 

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22 hours ago, teachercd said:

They do rarely leak.

 

This would be like showing a plane crash and being like "Seeeeee...this is why I don't fly" even when it is the safest form of travel. 

 

Or was, I don't know anymore.  

I disagree with "rarely". The Keystone pipeline is only a few years old and has had at least 2 leaks that I can remember. I'd say pipelines leaking is "common".

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17 hours ago, RedDenver said:

I disagree with "rarely". The Keystone pipeline is only a few years old and has had at least 2 leaks that I can remember. I'd say pipelines leaking is "common".

Actually, the pipeline was installed in 2010, so it's 12 years old.  However, since then, it's had 22 leaks as of 2021.  So, I would also disagree with "rarely".  For those keeping score, that's 2 per year.

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keystone-pipeline-leaks-14000-barrels-of-oil-in-kansas-180981275/#:~:text=Since the pipeline was installed,U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

 

Quote

Since the pipeline was installed in 2010, 22 spills have leaked a combined total of about 12,000 barrels of crude oil, per a 2021 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Seventeen of these ruptures were contained on company property, though all were smaller leaks. In 2017, defective pipeline materials and poor construction caused a 6,592-barrel spill in South Dakota, wrote Ben Lefebvre for Politico in 2021. Two years later, manufacturing defects in the pipes led to a 4,515-barrel leak into wetlands in North Dakota.  

 

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On 12/12/2022 at 11:18 AM, TGHusker said:

Good article explaining the diff between fission and fusion

 

https://nuclear.duke-energy.com/2021/05/27/fission-vs-fusion-whats-the-difference-6843001

 

Fission takes place when a large, somewhatunstable isotope (atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons) is bombarded by high-speed particles, usually neutrons. These neutrons are accelerated and then slammed into the unstable isotope, causing it to fission, or break into smaller particles. During the process, a neutron is accelerated and strikes the target nucleus, which in the majority of nuclear power reactors today is Uranium-235. This splits the target nucleus and breaks it down into two smaller isotopes (the fission products), three high-speed neutrons, and a large amount of energy. This resulting energy is then used to heat water in nuclear reactors and ultimately produces electricity. The high-speed neutrons that are ejected become projectiles that initiate other fission reactions, or chain reactions.

fission

 

Conversely, fusion takes place when two low-mass isotopes, typically isotopes of hydrogen, unite under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature. Atoms of Tritium and Deuterium (isotopes of hydrogen, Hydrogen-3 and Hydrogen-2, respectively) unite under extreme pressure and temperature to produce a neutron and a helium isotope. Along with this, an enormous amount of energy is released, which is several times the amount produced from fission.

 

fusion

 

Both fission and fusion are nuclear reactions that produce energy, but the processes are very different. Fission is the splitting of a heavy, unstable nucleus into two lighter nuclei, and fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine together releasing vast amounts of energy. While different, the two processes have an important role in the past, present and future of energy creation.

 

 

Here's the announcement.

 

 

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29 minutes ago, NebraskaHarry said:

I feel like foreign spies across the world are on big time notice for this one.

Yes,   It is the only way authoritarian societies grow - steal because they can't invent. So I wonder if we hold all of the secrets close to the chest on this and develop the technology so that we can dominate the world  with the tech or does it get shared with friendly countries who will have it stolen from them by the unfriendly ones.  :blink:

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflip 

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflipit is 

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On 12/12/2022 at 7:49 AM, BigRedBuster said:

That could be huge.  I remember learning about the possibility of this in grade school back in the 70s.  They have been working on this for a long time.  I'm guessing it still won't be usable in my lifetime...but, maybe someday. 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/13/us/energy-officials-announce-nuclear-fusion-climate-scn/index.html
 Another article…

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7 minutes ago, TGHusker said:

Yes,   It is the only way authoritarian societies grow - steal because they can't invent. So I wonder if we hold all of the secrets close to the chest on this and develop the technology so that we can dominate the world  with the tech or does it get shared with friendly countries who will have it stolen from them by the unfriendly ones.  :blink:

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflip 

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflipit is 

All I know is, if in my lifetime, they get so they can mass produce large scale generating stations with this.....I want to invest immediately.

 

At that point in my life, I will never have to worry about how to afford all my depends.

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29 minutes ago, TGHusker said:

Yes,   It is the only way authoritarian societies grow - steal because they can't invent. So I wonder if we hold all of the secrets close to the chest on this and develop the technology so that we can dominate the world  with the tech or does it get shared with friendly countries who will have it stolen from them by the unfriendly ones.  :blink:

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflip 

 

world domination Memes & GIFs - Imgflipit is 

Realizing Nazi scientists were responsible for putting Americans on the moon....

 

Surprised bwoman looking at camera, astonished woman with shocked face and  open mouth holding laptop. Stock Photo | Adobe Stock

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2 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

Here's the announcement.

 

 

This is a major achievement for physics, but people need to realize that it's unlikely that the NIF method can be modified to produce sustained reactions and therefore energy. Somebody might figure it out, but we're still probably decades away from having fusion power from this breakthrough.

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