Where does the ENERGY to sustain life on Earth come from?
From the Sun, which produces light and heat thanks to fusion reactions.
FUSION is the nuclear reaction that powers the stars; it is a clean, safe and almost unlimited SOURCE OF ENERGY. Harnessing this celestial energy is the goal of the fusion research that we take part in.
The RFX Group
The Path to Fusion
Can fusion become a clean, safe, abundant and sustainable source of energy capable of responding to the growing energy needs of the coming decades?
What is meant by the term nuclear fusion and what are the scientific and technological challenges that await us to reach the production of electrical energy from fusion as soon as possible? Let’s explore the science together, pick your path to fusion based on your starting knowledge:
I’m new here, what’s a plasma and what are we fusing?
I know what fusion is, but how do we recreate it here in on Earth?
I understand the what and the how, but why is Fusion so important for society?
Tell me more about the history of fusion research in Padua
Research on fusion began in Padua in the late 1950s.
From the first Eta Beta I and Eta Beta II experiments (1970 -1980) we continued with the realization of the RFX machine, in operation since 1992, for the development of research on plasmas in RFP – the Reversed Field Pinch configuration.
The growth of the group and of the research projects, with new scientific objectives and the strengthening of international collaborations led, in 1996, to the establishment of Consorzio RFX.
The Italian research bodies – CNR, ENEA, INFN – and the University of Padua, Members of the RFX Consortium, have thus integrated their dedicated resources into a single structure, capable today of effectively contributing to the European fusion research program. This is achieved through experimentation on the largest existing “Reversed Field Pinch” type device, the RFX-mod2 machine, and with the participation in the scientific exploitation of European Tokamak and Stellarator devices and the operation of new experimental plants , especially DTT and JT-60SA. Consorzio RFX was entrusted with the development of the neutral beam injection system for the plasma heating of ITER with the construction of the NBTF plant.
For more on the history of fusion research in Padua, our “Background” page is coming soon.