Nuclear Fusion Energy Calculator
Calculate the energy released in a nuclear fusion reaction from the mass difference between reactants and products.
Energy Released
17.61 MeV
Energy Released vs Total Mass of Reactants
Formule
## Nuclear Fusion Energy Fusion of light nuclei releases energy because the products have higher binding energy per nucleon. The energy comes from the mass difference, just like fission. ### Formula **E = delta_m × 931.494 MeV/u** The D-T fusion reaction (²H + ³H → ⁴He + n) releases 17.6 MeV. Per unit mass, fusion fuel releases about 4 times more energy than fission fuel, making it the ultimate energy source.
Exemple Résolu
D-T fusion: D(2.0141) + T(3.0164) → He-4(4.0026) + n(1.0087) + energy.
- 01Reactant mass = 2.0141 + 3.0164 = 5.0305 u
- 02Product mass = 4.0026 + 1.0087 = 5.0113 u
- 03delta_m = 5.0305 - 5.0116 = 0.0189 u
- 04E = 0.0189 × 931.494 = 17.6 MeV
Questions Fréquentes
Why is fusion so hard to achieve?
Both nuclei are positively charged and repel each other strongly. Overcoming this Coulomb barrier requires temperatures of 100 million °C or more. Containing this plasma is the central engineering challenge.
What is the most promising fusion reaction?
D-T (deuterium-tritium) has the lowest ignition temperature and highest cross section. D-D and D-He3 are harder but produce fewer neutrons. Proton-boron (p-B11) is aneutronic but requires much higher temperatures.
How much energy does 1 kg of D-T fuel produce?
About 3.4 × 10¹⁴ J (340 TJ), equivalent to about 80,000 tons of TNT. One gallon of seawater contains enough deuterium for the equivalent of 300 gallons of gasoline.
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