Chapter 71: Controllable Fusion Energy
Chapter 71: Controllable Fusion Energy
Regardless of whether he wants to manufacture aircraft or various research equipment, he must rely on these 3D printing devices to complete the task.
However, Wu Hao's current goal is not to manufacture such advanced printing devices because his base's current conditions do not allow it.
Only by first solving the energy problem can he gradually proceed with all the subsequent work. After organizing all the materials and components in the warehouse, Wu Hao began to consider how to solve the energy issue at the base. It is certain that the base's energy needs a nuclear reactor for power generation, but there are several types of nuclear reactors.
With the technologies currently mastered by several nuclear powers in the world, they have only achieved a certain level of control in the field of thermonuclear fusion. As for nuclear fusion, with the technology currently available to humanity, it can only be used as a weapon, known as a "light egg."
The explosion of a light egg is an uncontrollable nuclear fusion process.
The reactors currently used by humans for power generation are based on nuclear fission, which is a more stable and controllable process.
However, controlled nuclear fusion is still under research. Although in recent years, many scientists around the world have claimed to have developed controllable fusion energy technology, achieving this specific goal will still require another ten to twenty years because the requirements for nuclear fusion power generation are numerous.
However, in recent years, Lockheed Martin, a company in the United States, has stated that they are researching a fusion reaction device that is only the size of a truck container. If successful, the electricity generated by this reactor would be sufficient to meet the needs of a small city.
According to the company's plan, it should be officially put into use within the next ten years, but its success is still uncertain. Nevertheless, the technology of controllable nuclear fusion has been under study by humanity for several decades, and we are now close to mastering and utilizing this energy source.
Although the final implementation may still take some time, this technology is generally considered to be one that humanity is close to achieving. As for the theoretical technology of nuclear cold fusion reactors, it is still purely in the theoretical stage, with only a few stubborn physicists quietly conducting research on it. The problem Wu Hao is facing now is whether he should directly establish a more stable fission reactor than all current nuclear fission technologies to provide energy to his base, or spend more time researching controllable nuclear fusion technology.
Originally, according to Wu Hao's plan, he only intended to build a fission reactor to provide energy, but a fission reactor would generate severe radiation pollution, which would greatly affect his future research laboratory.
After all, Wu Hao's laboratory is dedicated to researching biogenetic drugs, and having such a laboratory located next to a nuclear power facility, even with good radiation protection measures, would still have a significant impact. "Forget it, let's focus on researching controllable nuclear fusion! After all, this matter can be done sooner or later," Wu Hao thought for a moment and decided to prioritize the study of controllable nuclear fusion. If it were only for the purpose of manufacturing aircraft, he wouldn't be so eager for fusion energy, as he already possessed a highly refined nuclear fission technology.
Nuclear fusion is still just an idea for him at the moment.
However, human research on controllable nuclear fusion has reached a stage where success is imminent. If he further improves upon this foundation, the issue won't be too challenging for Wu Hao.
Nuclear fusion, the raw material involved is not complicated either; it is the energy generated by the combination of two different atoms.
Nuclear fission, on the other hand, is the energy generated by splitting an atom into two.
However, compared to fission, fusion not only generates higher energy but is also cleaner and more environmentally friendly, without any gas emissions or pollution.
However, the conditions required for nuclear fusion reactions are extremely demanding and require extremely high temperatures and pressures to be achieved. This fusion process exists in nature, as the sun generates its powerful light and heat through this method. Therefore, controlled nuclear fusion is often referred to as an artificial sun.
Currently, the main approach for humans to achieve nuclear fusion is by using lasers to generate temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees and creating an electromagnetic device to create a magnetic field that contains this high temperature and pressure, enabling fusion reactions between hydrogen isotopes, deuterium, and tritium. As for the fusion approach used in nuclear fusion weapons, known as "light egg," it is relatively simple and violent. In this case, a small atomic bomb is placed inside the light egg, and the bomb is detonated, causing high temperatures and pressures that trigger fusion reactions between hydrogen atoms inside the light egg, resulting in a series of high-temperature explosions and intense nuclear radiation.
Since Wu Hao has decided to study nuclear fusion, he naturally wastes no time.
First, he created a high-frequency satellite signal receiving station for his base. The materials for making this receiver were obtained from the materials he previously ordered.
Although his laptop could receive satellite signals in certain locations in the Qinling Mountains, it became completely ineffective inside the base.
Therefore, in order for the base to have constant access to satellite networks, he needed to set up a signal receiving station. Wu Hao's receiving station is not large and is located in a concealed position outside the base on a mountain.
After setting up the satellite signal receiving station, Wu Hao proceeded to assemble a high-performance computer himself.
Apart from the chips he purchased from abroad, other electronic components and displays were bought domestically. These items are relatively common, and since Wu Hao has no plans to build a supercomputer or require top-of-the-line hardware, there is no need for excessive equipment.
Moreover, many domestically produced hardware components are of good quality, as demonstrated by our country's self-developed supercomputer Tianhe series...
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