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7/7/2025 6:07:41 PM

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Section 25: Chit Chat
Subject: Nuclear Rockets Msg# 1230007

From:

Tom Hemmick

Joined 7/21/2005

To:

Joe Reynolds (Read) OceanPinesForum.com

Joined 8/1/1999

Potential for explosions (with caveats):
While a fusion reactor is not prone to explosive events due to the fusion reaction itself, certain scenarios like a large-scale quench (a sudden loss of superconductivity in the magnetic field) or a hydrogen explosion due to a leak could lead to explosions, though these are different from the uncontrolled chain reaction explosions associated with fission.

The fusion process requires very high temperature, in excess of 100 million degrees Celsius.

From 2022 report:

"For the first time, researchers in South Korea were able to keep a nuclear fusion reaction going for 30 seconds at temperatures beyond 100 million degrees Celsius, which is approximately seven times hotter than the Sun’s core. ... The difficult element of nuclear fusion is not producing the reaction. ..... The challenge is sustaining this reaction so power plants can harness the energy."

"Plasma instabilities can disrupt reactions and harm equipment if they come into contact with the reactor’s walls."

Headline: 7 Times Hotter Than Sun, Nuclear Fusion Reactor Reaches 100 Million Degrees Celsius In South Korea Click Here

For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where:
Trying to harness the basic energy source of the sun and stars carries the risk that the extremely hot process could get away from us and create a nuclear explosion which would dwarf Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

From a Goggle search of:

can nuclear fusion plants cause explosion

No, nuclear fusion power plants are not known for exploding in the same way that fission reactors can. Fusion reactions, unlike fission, don't involve a chain reaction, and the amount of fuel present at any given time is relatively small. If a fusion reactor malfunctions, the reaction will simply stop, and the plant will shut down.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

No chain reaction:

Fusion reactions, where light atomic nuclei fuse to form heavier nuclei, require extremely high temperatures and pressures to initiate and sustain. Unlike fission, they don't rely on a chain reaction that can escalate uncontrollably.
Limited fuel:

Fusion reactors contain only small amounts of fuel (typically deuterium and tritium) at any given time, unlike fission reactors which hold large quantities of fuel.
Automatic shutdown:

If a fusion reactor encounters a problem, such as a loss of containment or a disruption in the heating or magnetic confinement systems, the reaction will quickly stop.
No meltdown risk:

Because there is no chain reaction and limited fuel, a fusion reactor cannot experience a meltdown in the same way a fission reactor can.
Potential for explosions (with caveats):

While a fusion reactor is not prone to explosive events due to the fusion reaction itself, certain scenarios like a large-scale quench (a sudden loss of superconductivity in the magnetic field) or a hydrogen explosion due to a leak could lead to explosions, though these are different from the uncontrolled chain reaction explosions associated with fission.

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