The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Saturday that his country is stepping up its research on nuclear fusion in a bid to produce alternative sources of energy. The announcement comes as world powers pressure Tehran to suspend its controversial nuclear activities. Salehi said Tehran plans to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor and had hired 50 scientists to work on the project, and that $8 million had been allocated for what he called "serious" research.
Nuclear fusion is a process in which light atomic particles, such as hydrogen, are combined to form heavier particles that release a great amount of energy. However, this type of atomic reaction has not been successfully developed for commercial power, despite five decades of intensive research.
In 2006, global powers agreed to spend more than $12 billion to build an experimental fusion reactor in the south of France. That accord was signed by the United States, the European Union, China, India, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
Salehi, who has a doctorate from MIT, claimed that Iran's project would require intense effort, but could provide Tehran with large dividends in diversifying its sources of civilian energy. He says that nuclear fusion is a new technology, and that it needs intense effort to develop. He adds that it will take 20 to 30 years to commercialize nuclear fusion, but that Iran will try to use its resources to achieve that goal sooner.
Nuclear fusion is also the technology behind thermonuclear explosions used in hydrogen bombs. Such weapons are more powerful than ordinary atomic bombs, which rely on fission reactions.
Asghar Sediqzadeh, who was appointed to run Iran's new fusion research center, told Iranian television that it would take two years to conclude initial studies, followed by another 10 years to design and build a fusion reactor.
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Iran-to-Step-Up-Nuclear-Fusion-Research-99171859.html
Nuclear fusion is a process in which light atomic particles, such as hydrogen, are combined to form heavier particles that release a great amount of energy. However, this type of atomic reaction has not been successfully developed for commercial power, despite five decades of intensive research.
In 2006, global powers agreed to spend more than $12 billion to build an experimental fusion reactor in the south of France. That accord was signed by the United States, the European Union, China, India, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
Salehi, who has a doctorate from MIT, claimed that Iran's project would require intense effort, but could provide Tehran with large dividends in diversifying its sources of civilian energy. He says that nuclear fusion is a new technology, and that it needs intense effort to develop. He adds that it will take 20 to 30 years to commercialize nuclear fusion, but that Iran will try to use its resources to achieve that goal sooner.
Nuclear fusion is also the technology behind thermonuclear explosions used in hydrogen bombs. Such weapons are more powerful than ordinary atomic bombs, which rely on fission reactions.
Asghar Sediqzadeh, who was appointed to run Iran's new fusion research center, told Iranian television that it would take two years to conclude initial studies, followed by another 10 years to design and build a fusion reactor.
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Iran-to-Step-Up-Nuclear-Fusion-Research-99171859.html
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