Yeah, you read it right, CFR or Compact Fusion Reactor is the latest technological advancement made by scientists at Lockheed Martin. This compact reactor works on nuclear fusion as in the case of our Sun and other stars, rather than nuclear fission which is basically splitting an atom.

Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei collide at a very high speed and join to form a new type of atomic nucleus. During this process, matter is not conserved because some of the matter of the fusing nuclei is converted to photons (energy).

Lockheed defines fusion as “the process by which a gas is heated up and separated into its ions and electrons. When the ions get hot enough, they can overcome their mutual repulsion and collide, fusing together. When this happens, they release a lot of energy – about one million times more powerful than a chemical reaction and 3-4 times more powerful than a fission reaction.” A reactor small enough to fit on a truck could provide enough power for a small city of up to 100,000 people.

The good news is that, this reactor will hit the production line in 10 years time and will run on just 25 kg of fuel for several years,

Future looks promising!