31) Intl Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)

Question 1

Where is this located ?

Answer 1

This is the world’s largest experimental Fusion facility in FRANCE

Question 2

When was it started ?

Answer 2

2010 – It is regarded as the most complex science project in human history

Question 3

Why it is a Nuclear reactor right ? So many countries have it. What is special ?

Answer 3

Read the 1st question properly.

It is a Fusion facility. All nuclear reactors till date use Nuclear Fission

Question 4

Why is Nuclear Fusion reactor tough to build ?

Answer 4

Due to huge amounts of energy released, Nuclear fusion reactions are very hard to be sustained

Question 5

How are they planning to do it then ?

Answer 5

Hydrogen Fusion – controlled by Superconducting magnets to produce Massive Heat Energy

Question 6

Who are funding it ?

Answer 6

EU, USA, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea

Question 7

Significance ?

Answer 7

1) 1st Industrial scale fusion reactor and it will illuminate the way to produce clean, cheap and abundant energy for millions of yrs
2) It will start generating a Molten mass of electrically charged gas “plasma” inside a core by 2025