Fusion Power and Its Ethics
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ENGR 0081 2:00 R02 Fusion Power and its Ethics
Matthew Duff ([email protected])
Fusion Power an international effort to develop fusion as an inexhaustible source of energy for the benefit of The NAE Grand Challenges project is a list of futer mankind [1]. The proposal only manifested in 2006 engineering challenges in the fields of energy, when China, The European Union, India, Japan, medicine and safety. Their main goal is to improve Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States human life in those key areas. The topic I chose to of America signed the ITER agreement with the main research is fusion power. Fusion power is on the purpose of demonstrating fusion power for peaceful leading edge of scientific research and will play a purposes [1]. Since its discovery, fusion has been a crucial part in the advancement of civilization. “great white hope” for creating bountiful amounts of Fusion research along with any type of research is energy without the harmful waste of coal power important to aid engineer’s education. In an plants or nuclear plants [4]. The first fusion reactors engineer’s education it is important in instill the idea came around in the 1960’s, but where only able to that doing something the morally right way is sustain a reaction for brief moments at a time. The important in order to uphold the honor and duty of only way to have a successful fusion reaction is to the engineering profession. Fusion provides people heat the fuel, in this case tritium and deuterium, to with a near limitless supply of clean, renewable scorching 100 - 200 million degrees Celsius coupled with extremely high pressure [3]. Because of the nature of a fusion reaction maintaining a constant energy without the harmful effects of CO₂ and other environment is one of the main challenge. Safety is the Upmost Importance. greenhouse gasses. The problem with fusion power right now is it is a relatively new science and the When someone says fusion one of the first things to reactors can only be sustained for a short amount of come to mind is a fusion bomb. Some critics of time. The ITER project in southern France is looking fusion compare fusion power with the dangers of the to make advancements in fusion generators and make bomb. The ITER project uses the same principles as them a viable alternative to the nonrenewable coal fusion but in a controlled setting. The high heat and power plants. The benefits of these advancements extreme pressure can be dangerous but the engineers will greatly outweigh any risks associated with fusion at the ITER project have systems in place that control power. Through advanced materials and the various and minimize any risks. While the fuel inside the safety systems in place, the ITER project will be chamber is heated to over 100 million degrees none successful and safe in its quest to find a sustainable of the fuel touches the outside wall due to the intense fusion reactor. This paper will discuss the safety of magnetic field created by large electromagnets. By ITER and why it follows the Engineering code of no means is the outer wall protected from the heat. ethics, for safety, public welfare, and protecting the Neutrons emitted from the reaction cannot be environment. controlled by the field are absorbed by the wall and heat the steel covering [3]. If the steel was not cooled ITER and the Power of Fusion the system would fail, and In order to counter act the heating the cryogenic cooling system pumps liquid The first idea for ITER came about in 1985 when the hydrogen through the walls keeping the wall cool [1]. United States and the former Soviet Union proposed
University of Pittsburgh 1 11/1/2011 Swanson School of Engineering Even if there was a catastrophic failure and both the radioactivity of the fuel sources make sure that the outer and inner chambers were punctured the surrounding animal and human populations will not surrounding areas would not need to be evacuated. be harmed in the event of a catastrophic failure. If all The low radioactivity of the fuel means it would not engineers and future engineers that work on nuclear be extremely dangerous to human health, thus fusion reactors follow these codes, there will making fusion generators a non-threat to the general continue to be funding for projects such as ITER. population. These projects will create advancements to nuclear fusion, which will create a sustainable energy source Sustainable: ITER’s main goal. for future human growth. If only a few engineers decide to break these codes, they would jeopardize Sustainability has a twofold meaning for ITER. It the work of previous generations. If they were to be means having the reactor’s fuel sustainable and deceptive and create projects that were not safe to the creating a reactor that can sustain constant public and something was to go wrong, the general functionality. The main fuel sources for the reactor population would not feel safe being around such are deuterium and tritium. Deuterium is found in sea reactors. This would create a ripple effect that would water and there is enough to last for millions of years not only shut down existing projects but delay [1]. Tritium on the other hand is a very rare and progress for future use because of uncertainty of their expensive isotope of hydrogen. The scientists at safety. ITER devised a method in order to gain this valuable fuel from the fusion reaction itself. During the reaction, a lithium outer layer will be bombarded by neutrons to create tritium thus closing the fuel cycle ITER what educational benefits does it [1]. Unlike the other reactors, ITER must also be hold? sustainable in it can last indefinitely. A reactor would be useless if it could not deliver constant electricity to The ITER project could be the single most important people. The early fusion reactors could only last for breakthrough in human history. If it is successful it mere moments and because of the high temperatures would create limitless energy with limited and the changing magnetic field, the reactors would byproducts. For this reason the science of nuclear stop working. With advance computers the engineers power through fusion should be taught in all where able to create a system of complex magnetic freshman engineering classes. The more people that fields that could hold the fuel in place and create a are interested and informed about that subject the stable fusion reaction [2]. more support the project will have. In the Nation Society of Professional Engineers code of ethics it Ethics and its relation to ITER says “engineers are encouraged to extend public knowledge and appreciation of engineering and its The ITER project is in accordance to the ethical code achievements.” Not only is it important to educate for both engineers and nuclear engineers. Due to the today’s youth on the benefits of fusion power but in nature of this fusion reactor it is naturally safe and is required of engineers to tell the public of its sustainable. In the Code of Ethics for engineers possibilities [5]. I agree with the Swanson School of section III letter d, engineers are required to “adhere Engineering’s decision to have writing assignments to the principle of sustainable development in order on specific engineering challenges and the ethics to protect the environment for future generations” behind them integrated into the freshman curriculum. [5]. As stated previously in this paper the ITER This is because the best way for someone to learn project will do just that. It can convert lithium into its about anything is to do it for themself. It has taught own fuel source and there is enough delirium in water me to not only learn about the ITER project and its to last for millions of years. Another factor in the impact on today’s society but how to research a topic code of ethics is its dedication to the safety and and fully understand something of this magnitude. I wellbeing of the general population [6]. ITER’s would also suggest that the other universities engineers satisfy this requirement as well. The low introduce similar assignments into their own
University of Pittsburgh 1 11/1/2011 Swanson School of Engineering freshman engineering program. Learning about ethics Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics For early in an engineer’s education is important to instill Engineers. National Society of Professional these values to be productive and instrumental in Engineers, 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2011.
University of Pittsburgh 1 11/1/2011 Swanson School of Engineering