Chute 1 Ryker Chute Dr. Guenzel ENC 1102 28 Feb.

2014 Could nuclear fusion be the alternative energy solution that the U.S. is looking for? In 2006, Al Gore stars in a documentary called An Inconvenient Truth, in which he campaigns to make the issues of global warming a recognized problem worldwide (IMDb). This was the first time that this threat was viewed as a major international problem, and was the start of a global effort to combat the cause of global warming. Global warming, or global climate change, is a term that refers to the greenhouse effect and the impact it has on our earths atmosphere. This is caused by our societies increase use of fossil fuels in cars and the production of electricity. The burning of gasoline and coal is the number one source of CO2 emissions worldwide, which is a major cause of the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. 38% of the United States CO2 emissions are from the production of electricity, the majority of that being from the burning of coal (EPA). At our current consumption rate, it is predicted by 2088 we will run out of coal (Ecotricity). Not only do we need to move away from fossil fuels to combat global climate change, but our primary source of energy will only last a little more than half a century. That is why I want to look at nuclear fusion as a possible source of energy that could replace the U.S.s reliance on fossil fuels. The research and development of alternative energies has been a primary focus of America, with some having the potential to replace coal as our primary source of energy. A lot of research has gone into renewable sources of energy also. Unlike fossil fuels, these forms of energy will come from a limitless source. Solar energy is a popular

Chute 2 example of renewable energy because it is created from the light and heat emitted from the sun. The energy output is quite considerable with constant sunshine and a massive solar panel array. But due to the fact that the panels collect no energy at night nor when the sun is blocked out, and the lack of big enough batteries, solar energy is not a viable source to completely replace coal. In some parts of the U.S. though, solar energy is an ideal source. That is the problem with most renewable energies, is that they are very geographically confined and do not have a constant output due to changing weather. Wind power is another form of renewable energy that uses large windmill farms to harness the power of the wind. These wind mill farms can produce enough power for a small city, but they require a large amount of land, and relay on strong blowing wins, which are unpredictable. Geothermal is a renewable source that creates power from the heat created by our earth. Deep under the earths crust, water is heated to create steam, which then turns turbines. Geothermal has drawbacks also, like being very geographically specific, safety hazards, and runs the risk of water saturation, making it not an ideal primary source of energy. Nuclear fission, while not being a renewable source, is a very popular form of alternative energy. The fission reaction can create an incredible amount of heat, allowing for steam to be made and forced through a turbine, resulting in enough energy to power large cities night and day. While fission does create a large amount of consistent energy, it has very serious and dangerous flaws. It produces large amount of radioactive material that we cannot dispose of for thousands of years, and has the potential to melt down and cause massive physical and biological damage, as seen when the Chernobyl reactor in the Ukraine melted down. None of these previously stated forms of alternative energies has the potential to supply the U.S. with clean, consistent, safe and renewable energy. Nuclear fusion, the type of reaction the sun uses to create heat and light for most life to live on earth, is another possible form of alternative energy. Fusion reactions have the possibility to

Chute 3 create a large amount of energy, while being safer than fission reactions. The fuel used is also plentiful sense it is an isotope of hydrogen which is made from salt water, and the spent fuel is not as radioactive and will decay in a relatively short amount of time. What I want to explore is if fusion could realistically be implemented as a source of energy that could replace fossil fuels as our primary source of energy. This will be able to provide to the reader if fusion could be considered a plausible source of energy and if it is something that is worth Americas time and money to research and develop. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Research Done Nuclear fusion reaction Nuclear fission reaction Solar Energy Geothermal Energy Wind Energy CO2 Emissions Fossil Fuels

To Be Researched Different Fusion Reactors -ITER -NIF -Alactor Cold Fusion Thermonuclear Weapons Chernobyl Disaster Sun Yucca Mountain Radiation of Fused matter Energy Threshold

Chute 4 To answer my research question, I will have to continuing to conduct research. I will be able to find out about other reactors, radiation management, and current developments through my research on the internet. While my research regarding history and natural processes will probably be gathered through the use of our schools library online databases to find peer reviewed sources. I will also keep an eye on any media source to learn about any developments in technology form anywhere around the world. Research map Library course Revised research map Calculus 2 test Research dossier draft 1 Research dossier draft 2 GNOR announced Research dossier Spring break Rhetorical analysis draft Rhetorical analysis GNOR abstract due Calculus 2 test PSA Revised PSA Argumentative research draft 1 Argumentative research draft 2 Argumentative research GNOR competition Calculus 2 test Reflection draft E-portfolio Feb. 5 Feb. 7 Feb. 10 Feb. 19 Feb. 21 Feb. 24 Feb. 24 Feb. 26 Mar. 3-8 Mar. 14 Mar. 21 Mar. 21 Mar. 24 Mar. 26 Mar. 28 Mar. 31 Apr. 2 Apr. 11 Apr. 11 Apr. 14 Apr. 16 Apr. 22

Chute 5 Annotated Bibliography Alcator C-Mod. Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Web. 28 Feb. 2014. https://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/intro/info.html a. A Wikipedia article that discusses an Alactor C-Mod fusion reactor. I am going to use this source to show one of many fusion reactors. b. Since this source is a Wikipedia article, the information has the potential of not being 100% accurate, but generally, Wikipedia is trusted source. An Inconvenient Truth. IMDb. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/ a. An IMDb article that shows information regarding the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. This source will provide me with information regarding the director, release date, stars and other relevant information. b. IMDb stands for International Movie Database, I trusted source for actor and movie information. Chernobyl Accident 1986. World Nuclear Association. Feb. 2014, Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/ChernobylAccident/ a. An article discussing the Chernobyl disaster that occurred when a nuclear fission reactor melted down in the Ukraine in 1986. This meltdown not only killed 2 workers, but released lethal doses of radiation all around the surrounding area, causing for the evacuation and abandonment of the city. b. The World Nuclear Association is a trusted source of information regarding nuclear energy, which is maintained regularly because the article was updated February of 2014. Clark, Robert, Detlev Reiter, Nuclear fusion research. Springer, 2005, Springer Link, Web. 23 Feb. 2014

Chute 6 a. An online book that discusses fusion. b. This source was found through one of the schools online databases, so I believe this source can be trusted. Conn, R.W. Fusion materials development in the U.S. Effects of Radiation on Materials: Eleventh Conference, ASTM STP 782, H.R. Brager and J.S. Perrin, Eds. American Society for Testing and Materials, 1982, pp. 1150-1178. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. http://65.209.24.102/DOWNLOAD/STP34403S.148689-1.pdf a. An article from a peer reviewed source discussing materials used in fusion reactors. b. This being a peer reviewed source from an online database, I believe this source can be trusted. Does fusion give off radiation? EFDA Web. 23 Feb. 2014. http://www.efda.org/faq/does-fusion-give-off-radiation/ a. An answer to a major question regarding the safety of fusion Does fusion give off radiation which is a major concern with nuclear energy. This will provide a contrast from fusion which is highly radioactive. b. The European Fusion Development Agreement is a reliable source of fusion information. Elert, Glenn. Pressure at the Center of the Sun. The Physics Factbook. Web. 23. Feb. 2014. http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1997/MarinaTreybick.shtml a. A website that shows the pressure at the center of the sun. b. This is an educational website, so I trust the information given. Facts & Figures. ITER. ITER Organization, Web. 28 Feb. 2014. https://www.iter.org/factsfigures a. This page gives us facts and figures regarding the construction and specs of the future fusion reactor.

Chute 7 b. This is the reactors official website, so the information provided might have a bias towards it. Nuclear Fusion. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion a. A Wikipedia article that discusses nuclear fusion reactions. This is a broad article that goes into history, development, science, and potential of b. fusion. This is going to be one of my primary resources due to the overall usefulness of the information. b. Since this source is a Wikipedia article, the information has the potential of not being 100% accurate, but generally, Wikipedia is a trusted source. Overview of Greenhouse Gases. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html a. This is a government article that discusses CO2 emissions and the impact of greenhouse gases will have on our atmosphere. The source provides a breakdowns of what produces CO2 emissions, future predictions of CO2 emissions, and solutions to reduce greenhouse gases. b. This is an article from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, so I trust this source completely. Rincon, Paul. Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab BBC. 7 Oct. 2013 Web. 23 Feb. 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24429621 a. An article from the BBC discussing one of the biggest breakthroughs in fusion technology made by the NIF reactor. b. BBC is one of the worlds largest media organizations, so I trust this source. Science. National Ignition Facility. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Web. 28 Feb. 2014. https://lasers.llnl.gov/science

Chute 8 a. The NIF reactor website, which provides links to find information regarding numerous topics of the facilities research. b. This is the official web site of the reactor, so there might be bias in any information provided. The End of Fossil Fuels. Ecotricity. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-offossil-fuels a. This is an article discussing the predicted end of the worlds supply of fossil fuels. b. The only reference that this article is the CIA World Fact Book, which is a trusted source. What is Cold Fusion? COLD FUSION NOW. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://coldfusionnow.org/what-is-cold-fusion/ a. An article discussing the basic principle of how cold fusion works plus its history. b. The website that I got this from was called coldfusionnow.org, which could have a potential bias towards cold fusion sense it is a controversial subject.