Future of energy ⚡

Scientists are always coming up with new ideas for ways to use energy and make electricity. Some of these ideas might sound far-fetched or strange, but many of the great energy discoveries from the past seemed strange at the time, too!

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Fusion reactor

Lots of energy is released by the Sun when the nuclei of its atoms join together, in the process called nuclear fusion. Scientists are working on machines called fusion reactors that try and create their own basic huge amounts of electricity.

• Hydrogen is used as fuel in the doughnut-shaped reactor.

• The hydrogen is heated until the nuclei of its atoms start joining together.

• The superhot hydrogen, called plasma, is held in place with magnets.

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People power

“Piezoelectric” devices can make electricity out of movement. 

In a train station in Japan, pedestrians could walk on tiles that created electric currents when they were squashed. The electricity they created powered Christmas lights.

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Dyson sphere

A Dyson sphere is a Solar System-sized container to surround a star and capture all the energy it gives out. This futuristic idea involves putting a solid shell, or many smaller devices, around a star to collect all its heat and light energy. We don’t have the technology to do it yet though!

• Star at the centre of the sphere

• A shell, or devices surrounding the star would capture its energy.

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Magma power

Geothermal power stations generate electricity using water that is pumped underground, where temperatures reach around ${300}^{\circ }C$ (${572}^{\circ }F$). 

However, engineers are working on drilling deeper down, towards a magma chamber, where the water could be heated to $1,{000}^{\circ }C$ ($1,{832}^{\circ }F$).