Fusion reactors are almost certainly going to be a source of great power in the future. These reactors will generate electricity using the same type of reactions that take place in the sun and will be able to provide limitless electricity at almost no cost.

Being able to use fusion reactions to generate electricity is about 20 years away by many estimates, and it has been for about 60 years. Or, to put it more accurately, while we know it is possible to use this method to generate electricity, we really have no idea how long it will be until it is actually practical.

There is, however, a lot of research money, and effort being put into this type of technology. One of the most promising options is a facility known as a Tokamak.

A Tokamak is a device that is made specifically to keep plasma contained so that it does not quickly transfer its energy to the surrounding area. Small-scale tokamaks have been used for some time so that researchers can study plasma and its behavior.

In order to harness enough plasma to efficiently generate electricity, however, a tokamak much larger is needed. This would require a massive magnetic field that can keep the plasma secured in place for long periods of time. In addition, the facility would need to be able to take the heat that is produced and use it to create steam that can turn a turbine to create the electricity, or so the current technology would suggest.

While all of this is possible (if not expensive) currently, the facility would need to be able to generate massive amounts of electricity in order to make it worth the effort. While the technological achievement of a tokamak that could, for example, generate 5% more energy than is required to run it would be huge, it would not be practical for supplying electricity to the world.

Another obstacle that fusion technologies are facing is that solar panels continue to become more efficient and less expensive each year. This makes one question why using fusion here on Earth is needed when we can just capture the energy generated from fusion in the sun.

The obvious answer is that solar energy is only available during the day, and not at all possible in some parts of the world. So, while solar power with batteries or other similar solutions is likely, there may still be a major place for fusion reactors in energy generation of the future.

Whether tokamaks are the right option in the future is still (at least) 20 years away, continuing to study this option is essential for meeting the long-term energy needs of the world.

Are tokamaks really the future of energy generation?

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