Ukukhula ekusetshenzisweni kwamandla kuye kwanda eminyakeni edlule njengoba kuguquka amandla kagesi. Lokhu kukhula kokusetshenziswa kwamandla emhlabeni wonke kwenza kudingeke ukuthi kubhekwe ezinye izindlela ezisebenza kahle kakhulu zamandla ezisiza ukondla konke ukusetshenziswa okudingekayo okuzodingeka. Njengoba i-fusion yenuzi ingekho ezingeni lezimboni, uchungechunge lokucwaninga ezindaweni eziningi iminyaka. Ukusetshenziswa okushiwo okukhiqizwe yi-fusion yenuzi kungenye yezinhloso nemizamo bonke abacwaningi abanayo ukuze kuthuthukiswe inzuzo enkulu yamandla. Kulokhu, kunohlelo olwaziwa njenge ITER (I-International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).
Kulesi sihloko sizokutshela ukuthi uhlelo lwe-ITER luqukethe ini nokuthi iyini inhloso yalo enkulu.
Yini i-ITER
Amandla akhiqizwa ngenqubo yenuzi eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-nyukliya fusion angaba makhulu. Ngenkathi kusetshenziswa amandla akhiqizwa ekuhlanganisweni kwenuzi kwama-athomu alula kulawo anesisindo esikhulu, kungatholakala inani elikhulu lamandla asebenzayo. Kodwa-ke, kuyinto engakakhiwa ezingeni lezimboni.
Kusukela ngama-50 kube nomzamo obalulekile ocwaningweni nasekuthuthukisweni kwe-fusion yenuzi ngoba inenzuzo enkulu. Futhi kungenxa yokuthi ngesikhathi sokuhlanganiswa kwenuzi kukhiqizwa inani elikhulu lamandla. Esinye sezithako esidingekayo ukuze lokhu kuhlangana kwenzeke i-deuterium. I-Deuterium iyi-isotope eningi kakhulu ye-hydrogen. Ngalesi sizathu, ukuhlangana kwenuzi kungenye yezinto ezifunwa kakhulu ngemuva kokuphendula emkhakheni wamandla.
ITER iphakathi kwezinhlelo zamazwe omhlaba ezikhombisile ukuthi kungenzeka ukugcina inqubo yokuhlanganiswa kwenuzi ku-plasma kepha kudinga umzamo omkhulu. Inhloso yalolu hlelo ukucacisa ukusebenza kwezobuchwepheshe nezomnotho kokuhlanganiswa kwenuzi. Indlela okuzokwenziwa ngayo lokhu kusabela kungokuvalelwa kukazibuthe ukuze kukhiqizwe ugesi. Lokhu kusebenza njengesigaba sokuqala ekwakhiweni kwesikhungo esingasetshenziselwa ukukhiqiza amandla ngale nqubo.
Iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50, IYurophu ibe ngumholi ocwaningweni lokuxubana kwenuzi. Zonke izici ezihlobene nokucubungula okuhlobene nefiziksi nocwaningo lwamakhemikhali zihlanganiswa ngeKhomishini yaseYurophu. Uhlelo lwe-ITER luxhaswe ngohlelo lwe-EURATOM Research Framework kanye nezimali zikazwelonke ezivela emazweni angamaLungu naseSwitzerland. Enye yezinzuzo zokuhlanganiswa kwenuzi ngamandla ayo amakhulu akhethekile. Futhi ukuthi inamandla amakhulu okukwazi ukukhiqiza amandla. Inkinga ukuthi ukuze lokhu kuhlangana kwe-nyukliya kusebenze kahle, kudingeka amazinga okushisa aphakathi kuka-100 no-200 million degrees Celsius. Le yinto, namuhla, cishe engenakwenzeka ukuyizuza.
ITER, iCadarache neSpain
Kwakuwuphrojekthi owawunebhajethi yokuqala engaba yizigidi ezingama-5.000 zama-euro eyayingaphindwa kathathu uma imiphumela iqala ukukhombisa ngokushesha. Isikhathi esilinganisiwe sokwakhiwa kwale phrojekthi cishe cishe iminyaka eyishumi futhi kulindeleke ukuthi iqhubeke nalokhu kusebenza eminye iminyaka engama-10.
ITER ithathwa njengephrojekthi enkulu kunazo zonke yocwaningo lwezamandla emhlabeni. Inhloso yalo enkulu ukukhombisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukusebenzisa i-fusion yenuzi njengomthombo wamandla. Kumele sikhumbule ukuthi ukuhlangana kwenuzi kwenzeka ngaphakathi kwelanga nasezinkanyezini. Kulezi zindawo amazinga okushisa aphakeme kakhulu kanye nengcindezi. Ingcindezi ngenxa yamandla amakhulu adonsela phansi akhona elangeni ibangela ukuthi amazinga okushisa abe phezulu kakhulu futhi ukusabela kwe-fusion yenuzi kungenzeka.
Kuze kube namuhla kusengumshini wokucwaninga, njengoba ubhekwa njengomshini wokuhlola. Indlunkulu ye-European Fusion Agency ibibanjelwe eBarcelona kusukela ngo-2007, lapho yonke imizamo edingekayo yokwenza ukuhlanganiswa kwenuzi ihlelwe e-ITER. Kukhona inani eliphelele le- ngaphezu kwabantu abayi-180 abasebenza behlukaniswe onjiniyela, ososayensi nabaphathi. ISpain ibamba iqhaza kulolu hlelo nge-European Union futhi ukunikela kwayo kokuqala nokusemqoka kusemikhakheni ye-physics yokuboshelwa kazibuthe.
Kwenziwa umzamo wokuthuthukisa ukukhiqizwa kwe-tritium namandla wokulawulwa kwemijovo, ukuxilongwa nokulawulwa kwezinhlelo, i-tritium ingesinye isotope se-hydrogen. ISpain yenza umzamo omkhulu ukuze ukuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe kube nomthelela ekwakhiweni kwesiphenduli. Usizo ngezinto ezikhethekile, izinhlelo zokuphatha kude, nezinhlelo zensimbi engamanzi.
Latest izindaba
Izindaba zakamuva mayelana nephrojekthi ye-ITER ukuthi yayinikezwe ilayisense ngo-2012 yiziphathimandla zaseFrance. Ukwakhiwa kwaqala ngonyaka we-2014 futhi izimpahla zezinto zasatshalaliswa emazweni abamba iqhaza kulo msebenzi.
Akuwona wonke umuntu ovumelana nokutshalwa kwezimali okukhulu okudinga ukuhlanganiswa kwenuzi. Yini enye, Kunezinkinga ezithile okufanele zixazululwe, njengokukhiqizwa kwegesi enemisebe ye-tritium.. Kunamanye amaqembu achaza ukuthi izinhloso zamandla esazibona zingafinyelelwa uma konke lokho kutshalwa kwezimali kwenziwa kumandla ahlanzekile nashibhile njengokuhlanganiswa kwamandla avuselelekayo.
Kucatshangwa futhi ukuthi ukuhlanganiswa kwamandla avuselelekayo kungenziwa ngesikhathi esifushane nangezindleko eziphansi. Bacabangela ukuthi ukukhiqiza amandla nganoma iyiphi indlela kubiza imali futhi kubangele umthelela othile wezemvelo ezingeni elithile. Kodwa-ke, amandla avuselelekayo akhonjisiwe ukuthi anomthelela omncane kwezemvelo njengoba esebenzisa amandla avela emvelweni. Ayingcolisi lapho isetshenziswa futhi ingathuthukiswa ngentuthuko yezobuchwepheshe.
Ngokuya ngokuthi uphenyo lwe-ITER luhamba kanjani, Ngeke kwenzeke ukukhiqiza amandla ezingeni lezentengiselwano kuze kube unyaka ka-2035 ekuqaleni kwawo.
Ngiyethemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi mayelana nephrojekthi ye-ITER.