physics

Fusion torch

Fusion torch is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Fusion torch rather than just read about it. In short: A fusion torch is a technique for utilizing the high-temperature plasma of a fusion reactor to break apart other materials (especially waste materials) and convert them into a few reusable and saleable elements. It was invented in 1968 by Bernard J.

Key takeaways

Fusion torch belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Fusion torch to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Fusion torch from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A fusion torch is a technique for utilizing the high-temperature plasma of a fusion reactor to break apart other materials (especially waste materials) and convert them into a few reusable and saleable elements. It was invented in 1968 by Bernard J. Eastlund and William C. Gough while they were program managers of the controlled thermonuclear research program of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The basic concept was to impinge the plasma leaking from fusion reactors onto solids or liquids, vaporizing, dissociating and ionizing the materials, then separating the resulting elements into separate bins for collection. Other applications of fusion plasmas such as generation of UV and optical light, and generation of hydrogen fuel, were also described in their associated 1969 paper.

How it works The process began with a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped magnetic "bottle", containing plasma and unwanted material. This combination would result in a pool of electrons and nuclei which in turn would cause the tokamak to overflow and transfer the plasma into an outlet. This plasma then passes through a series of metal plates, differing in particular temperatures, all arranged in descending order. The atoms of elements pass over the plates with boiling points above their own. Eventually, the atoms encounter plates where the temperature is lower than their boiling point. This makes them stick onto the plate. The plates then work as a distillation system which sorts the plasma into its constituent elements. These pure elements can then be reused.

1969 paper In the paper "The Fusion Torch – Closing the Cycle from Use to Reuse", Bernard J. Eastlund and William C. Gough defined population (food), entropy (resources, energy, pollution), and war (human needs and behavior) as three traps that could hamper the advancement of mankind.

The use of the fusion torch in conjunction with controlled fusion power offers a potential solution to the entropy trap in materials. - i.e. man's exhaustion of nature's stored resources. (Eastlund & Gough, 1969) In terms of energy needs they estimated that by the year 2000 they would need 140,000 megawatts of electrical capacity. They also speculated that the fusion torch concept would be useful for the separation of uranium from reactor fuel element material.

References

Further reading "The Fusion Torch – Closing the Cycle from Use to Reuse" by Bernard J. Eastlund and William C. Gough, USAEC Report Wash 1132, May 15, 1969

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Fusion torch

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Fusion torch claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Fusion torch before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Fusion torch ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Fusion torch

In research: Fusion torch appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Fusion torch in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Fusion torch is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1968 in science, 1968 introductions, Nuclear technology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Fusion torch outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Fusion torch in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Fusion torch means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Fusion torch out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Fusion torch in simple terms?

Why does Fusion torch matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Fusion torch?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Fusion torch.