Editing Nuclear fusion (section)

=== Fusion energy ===
While fusion bomb detonations were [[Project PACER#Development|loosely considered for energy production]], the possibility of controlled and sustained reactions remained the scientific focus for peaceful fusion power. Research into developing controlled fusion inside [[fusion reactors]] has been ongoing since the 1930s, with [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]]'s Scylla I device producing the first laboratory thermonuclear fusion in 1958, but the technology is still in its developmental phase.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Videmšek |first=Boštjan |date=30 May 2022 |title=Nuclear fusion could give the world a limitless source of clean energy. We're closer than ever to it |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/05/world/iter-nuclear-fusion-climate-intl-cnnphotos/ |access-date=13 December 2022 |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213004108/https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/05/world/iter-nuclear-fusion-climate-intl-cnnphotos/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first experiments producing large amounts of controlled fusion power were the experiments with mixes of deuterium and tritium in [[Tokamaks]]. 
Experiments in the [[Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor | TFTR]] at the [[ Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory | PPPL]] in [[Princeton University]] Princeton NJ, USA during 1993–1996 produced created 1.6&nbsp;GJ fusion energy.
The peak fusion power was 10.3&nbsp;MW from {{val|3.7|e=18}} reactions per second, and peak fusion energy created in one discharge was 7.6&nbsp;MJ. 
Subsequent experiments in the [[Joint European Torus | JET]] in 1997 achieved a peak fusion power of 16&nbsp;MW ({{val|5.8|e=18|up=s}}).
The central ''Q'', defined as the local fusion power produced to the local applied heating power, is computed to be 1.3.<ref>"Core fusion power gain and alpha heating in JET, TFTR, and ITER",
R.V. Budny, J.G. Cordey and TFTR Team and JET Contributors, Nuclear Fus. (2016) <56> 056002 #5 (May)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0029-5515/56/5/056002 
//home/budny/papers/NF/core_q_dt/nf_56_5_056002.pdf</ref>
A JET experiment in 2024 produced 69&nbsp;MJ of fusion power, consuming 0.2&nbsp;mgm of D and T.

The US [[National Ignition Facility]], which uses laser-driven [[inertial confinement fusion]], was designed with a goal of achieving a [[fusion energy gain factor]] (Q) of larger than one; the first large-scale laser target experiments were performed in June 2009 and ignition experiments began in early 2011.<ref name="programsNIF">{{cite journal |author=Moses, E. I. |year=2009 |title=The National Ignition Facility: Ushering in a new age for high energy density science |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1232045 |journal=Physics of Plasmas |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=041006 |bibcode=2009PhPl...16d1006M |doi=10.1063/1.3116505 |access-date=25 March 2020 |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812160458/https://zenodo.org/record/1232045 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Kramer, David |date=March 2011 |title=DOE looks again at inertial fusion as potential clean-energy source |journal=Physics Today |volume=64 |issue=3 |pages=26–28 |bibcode=2011PhT....64c..26K |doi=10.1063/1.3563814}}</ref>  On 13 December 2022, the [[United States Department of Energy]] announced that on 5 December 2022, they had successfully accomplished break-even fusion, "delivering 2.05&nbsp;megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target, resulting in 3.15&nbsp;MJ of fusion energy output."<ref>{{cite web |title=DOE National Laboratory Makes History by Achieving Fusion Ignition |date=13 December 2022 |url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignition |access-date=13 December 2022 |archive-date=19 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219060607/https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignition |url-status=live }}</ref> The rate of supplying power to the experimental test cell is hundreds of times larger than the power delivered to the target.

Prior to this breakthrough, controlled fusion reactions had been unable to produce break-even (self-sustaining) controlled fusion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Progress in Fusion |url=http://www.iter.org/sci/beyonditer |access-date=15 February 2010 |publisher=[[ITER]] |archive-date=1 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601070234/http://www.iter.org/sci/BeyondITER |url-status=live }}</ref> The two most advanced approaches for it are [[Magnetic confinement fusion|magnetic confinement]] (toroid designs) and inertial confinement (laser designs). Workable designs for a toroidal reactor that theoretically will deliver ten times more fusion energy than the amount needed to heat plasma to the required temperatures are in development (see [[ITER]]). The ITER facility is expected to finish its construction phase in 2025. It will start commissioning the reactor that same year and initiate plasma experiments in 2025, but is not expected to begin full deuterium–tritium fusion until 2035.<ref>{{cite web |year=2014 |title=ITER – the way to new energy |url=http://www.iter.org/proj/iterandbeyond |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922162049/http://www.iter.org/proj/iterandbeyond |archive-date=22 September 2012 |website=ITER}}</ref>

Private companies pursuing the commercialization of nuclear fusion received $2.6 billion in private funding in 2021 alone, going to many notable startups including but not limited to [[Commonwealth Fusion Systems]], [[Helion Energy|Helion Energy Inc]]., [[General Fusion]], [[TAE Technologies]] Inc. and [[Zap Energy]] Inc.<ref>{{cite news |date=2022-12-14 |title=Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Set to Send Billions of Dollars Flowing to Atomic Startups |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-14/fusion-milestone-draws-billions-to-replicate-power-of-the-stars |access-date=2023-01-10 |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131083723/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-14/fusion-milestone-draws-billions-to-replicate-power-of-the-stars |url-status=live |author-last1=Wade|author-first1=Will}}</ref>

One of the most recent breakthroughs to date in maintaining a sustained fusion reaction occurred in France's WEST fusion reactor. It maintained a 90 million degree plasma for a record time of six minutes. This is a tokamak style reactor which is the same style as the upcoming ITER reactor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGrath |first=Jenny |date=2024-05-07 |title=Fusion Breakthrough: 6 Minutes of Plasma Sets New Reactor Record |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/fusion-breakthrough-6-minutes-of-plasma-sets-new-reactor-record |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=ScienceAlert |language=en-US}}</ref>