Fusion Power

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) — which aims to prove the commercial viability of fusion power — is slated to be built in France by 2016.

Here’s how it will work:

Two hydrogen isotopes–deuterium and tritium–are heated in a doughnut-shaped chamber to more than 100 million degrees Centigrade, at which point they form a plasma, or ionized gas.

Superconducting coils surrounding the chamber wall create a magnetic field that confines the plasma, forcing the deuterium and tritium nuclei to collide; when they do, they fuse to form helium nuclei, releasing neutrons.

Click image to see the reactor at Technology Review