Nuclear Fusion for electricty, boils water and moves a turbine? Or how it works?

AlexES16

Hello. I know that most fission reactors boils water to move a turbine like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjgdgAhOzXQ

Is the same for a future nuclear fusion power plant, produce heat and boil water?

Some light about this please.

Astronuc

If fusion is strictly used to produce thermal energy, which after all is kinetic energy of matter, then yes a working fluid could be used to drive a turbine which would turn a generator to produce electricity.

Otherwise, one would employ either expansion of the plasma against the confining magnetic field, or use some direct conversion process in which the nuclei and electrons are separated in a magnetic field and basically sent to separate collectors. The electrons then form an electric (DC) current which is passed through the load.

AlexES16

Astronuc thanks for the answer bro, do you know what career is more close to study this questions if there is no nuclear engineering in my country?. Be the way i hope ITER to be a success, altough some scientist say its technologically impossible and non-viable.

Astronuc

One would have to specialize in plasma physics and nuclear engineering, or perhaps electrical engineering.

I would like to see ITER be successful, but 1) I don't know if they will be at this point, and 2) it's not clear to me that even if they are successful that that will lead to a commercially viable system.

AlexES16

EE sounds very viable. Well Fission reactors can be made more safe, and you see countries like sweden or france that have like 78% of its electricity generated by fission.

But i think that is out of topic and i dont want to get more infractions here
cya bro