Bubble Power

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Bubble

Power
(Sonofusion)

INTRODUCTION

Bubble fusion- Sonofusion


Bubble

fusion, also known as Sonofusion, is the non-technical


name for a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur inside
extraordinarily large collapsing gas bubbles created in a liquid
during acoustic cavitation.

In

other words Sonofusion involves tiny bubbles imploded by


sound waves can make hydrogen nuclei fuse.

Apparition of
Bubble

Slow Expansion

Quick and sudden Purported fusion


contraction
event

Acoustic Cavitation
Cavitation

is the formation of vapour


cavities in a liquid
i.e. small
liquid-free zones ("bubbles" or
"voids") that are the consequence of
forces acting upon the liquid.

It

usually occurs when a liquid is


subjected to rapid changes of pressure
that cause the formation of cavities
where the pressure is relatively low.

When

subjected to higher pressure,


the voids implode and can generate an
intense shockwave.

Sonoluminescence
When

a gas bubble in liquid is excited by ultrasonic acoustic waves,


it can emit short flashes of light suggestive of extreme temperatures
inside the bubble.
These flashes of light, known as sonoluminescence, occur as the
bubble implodes, or cavitates.
If we can get the bubbles generate enough heat, we might just be able
to make atoms in the surrounding liquid fuse together.
A simple way ,in theory at least, of producing nuclear fusion and the
vast supply of energy promises.

Sonoluminescence

Original experiments
The

earliest documented reference to a sonofusion-type reaction is


patented by Hugh Flynn in 1978.

In

1992, Seth Putterman of UCLA indicated that his group had


reached 100,000 C in sonoluminescence experiments, and thought
1 million C was possible.

Another

approach was developed and done by Rusi P Taleyarkhan


and colleagues of Purdue University claimed to have observed
evidence of sonofusion in 2002.

Taleyarkhan Approach
Sonofusion-Technically

known as Acoustic Inertial Confinement Fusion.

In

this piezoelectric crystal attached to a liquid-filled flask send pressure


waves through the fluid, exciting the motion of tiny gas bubbles.

High
This

temperatures and pressure speculated at the bubble core .

leading to conditions suitable for thermonuclear fusion.

Taleyarkhan Approach

In the paper, the authors described how bubbles were created via nucleation by fast
neutrons with an initial radius of 10-100 nm.

The bubbles grew in an acoustic field at 19.3 kHz to a maximum size of 1 mm, then
collapsed.

The implosion creates an instantaneous pressure of 10 trillion kPa and temperature


of more than 100 million degree C, making the deuterium fuse.

D-D fusion leads to either production of helium and 2.5 MeV neutrons or tritium and
protons.

Taleyarkhan claimed to have observed both excess 2.5 MeV neutrons and tritium.

The claim was quickly surrounded by controversy, including allegations ranging


from experimental error to academic fraud.

Sonofusion device used by Rusi Taleyarkhan.

1. Vacuum pump
2. Liquid scintillator
3. Neutron source
4. Acoustic wave generator
5. Test chamber with fluid
6. Microphone
7. Photomultiplier tube
8. Two deuterium atoms collide
8a. Possible fusion event creating Helium
and a neutron
8b. Possible fusion event creating Tritium
and a proton

FUSION REACTION

Deuterium-Deuterium

fusion has two probable outputs,


helium and a 2.45-MeV neutron or tritium and a proton.
The energy of 2.45MeV neutron can be harnessed in a
reactor to create water vapor & drive an electricity
generator.

Sequence of events

Taleyarkhan 2006 Report


published another report in 2006 indicative of
nuclear fusion in cavitation bubbles in a mixture of
acetone and benzene.

Taleyarkhan

This

time the pulsed neutron generator was replaced with


alpha-radioactive uranium salts dissolved in the mixture to
address the criticism of the original ORNL effort, which
was relying on an external pulsed neutron source to
nucleate the cavitation bubbles.

Energy Harnessing Challenges


Each

individual fusion reaction is very brief--it lasts only


about a picosecond--and it is confined to a very small region.

As

a result, the energy output is relatively small.

To obtain

something interesting in terms of energy, the next


step is to scale up the apparatus

Have

to make the fusion reactions self-sustaining.

Present Approaches
Research groups throughout the world have concentrated on two
approaches:
Extremely

Magnetic

Energetic Laser Beams

Confinement Fusion

Extremely Energetic Laser Beams


Extremely

energetic laser beams converge on a tiny solid pellet


of deuterium-tritium fuel.

The

result is a shock wave that propagates toward the center of


the pellet and creates an enormous increase in temperature and
density.

One

of the drawbacks of this approach is the amount of power


the lasers require.

Magnetic Confinement Fusion


Magnetic

confinement fusion, has been under investigation since


the 1950s.

It

uses powerful magnetic fields to create immense heat and


pressure in a hydrogen plasma contained in a large, toroidal
device known as a Tokamak.

The

fusion produces high-energy neutrons that escape the plasma


and hit a liquid-filled blanket surrounding it.

The

idea is to use the heat produced in the blanket to generate


vapor to drive a turbine and thus generate electricity.

Recent Developments

Building the ITER--International Thermonuclear Experimental


Reactor : a US $5 billion, 500-megawatt reactor based on magnetic
confinement.

A consortium of institutions from China, Japan, South Korea, the European


Union, Russia, and the United States.

The consortium is now deciding between Cadarache, France, and


Rokkasho, Japan, as a home for the reactor.

ITER is not expected to begin operating until 2015, and a commercially


viable version will be even further away--some say 2050, give or take a
few decades.

ADVANTAGES
Fusion

produces no greenhouse gases

Safe,

environmentally friendly way to produce electrical


energy.

Unlike

conventional nuclear fission reactors, it produces


no noxious radioactive wastes that last for thousands of
years.

Low

cost and Easily available raw materials.

Applications
The

technology might one day, in theory, lead to a new source of energy. It


may result in a new class of low cost energy.

Compact

detectors for security applications.

To analyze

Machines

molecular structure of materials.

that cheaply manufacture new synthetic materials & efficiently


produce tritium, which is used for medical imaging to watch dials.

Conclusion

With the steady growth of world population and with economic progress in
developing countries, average electricity consumption per person will
increase significantly.

Therefore, seeking new sources of energy isn't just important, it is necessary.

Much more research is required before it is clear whether sonofusion can


become a new energy source.

Even it is not yet successful, the evidences already show a big future of
sonofusion which might be the new source of cheap clean energy in our life.

Thank You

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