Nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion is a process in which two lighter nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus while subsequently releasing relatively large amounts of energy. The process has been theorized as a means of power production for over a century. The first instance of successful sustained controlled reactions and power production by harnessing nuclear fusion power was observed in the reactor DHX-04, a Tier-2 nuclear fusion reactor funded by PAGP affiliated power company Melton Industries.

Nuclear fusion has been desired by many governmental agencies as a fuel source since its discovery in 1929 due to the relative fuel abundance and the amount of energy produced (roughly 10x that of nuclear fission per unit reactant mass). Since then, although nuclear fusion reactions has been attempted many times, harnessing its energy had not been an easy task mainly due to plasma confinement issues. Over 20 nuclear fusion reactors built between the 20th to the 21st century were all experimental and failed to produce more energy than what was required to start the reaction. As a result, the primary goal for any nuclear fusion reactor is to reach a net energy coefficient (Q) of 1.0, meaning that the reactor had successfully "broken even" on the energy invested. The DHX-04 is an instance of such and is widely seen as the first "successful" nuclear fusion reactor.

History
Since 1929, when the first nuclear fusion reaction was observed, scientists have attempted to control the reaction in order to harness its power. It was not until 2023, however, that the first large scale nuclear fusion reactor was completed. Since 2023, multiple attempts have been made to contain and sustain a nuclear reaction for power. In 2043, nuclear fusion was successfully harnessed for power for the first time in humanity.

2020s
Since the discovery of the Great Pacific Oil Deposit in 2020, oil demands increased steadily along with the supply. With China slowly moving away from manufacturing industries, most of the increased oil consumption came from developing western and central African nations, and notably India. Concerns for increased global warming accelerated funding for nuclear fusion power, which was promised to allow for an almost infinite amount of energy due to the abundance of the reaction fuel.

It is theorized by some, however, that accelerated research into nuclear fusion power was motivated by reasons other than environmental concerns. Many senior political members of the PAGP stated that nuclear fusion power was initially researched as a political tool by the United States to starve off Chinese and Saudi Arabian ventures on potential oil revenue based on the Great Pacific Oil Deposit to reduce their influence of the world's economy.

DTX-01, a nuclear fusion reactor with a tokamak torus was completed in 2027. It is classified as a first generation Experimental fusion reactor, standing over 70 meters tall and having a toroidal plasma volume of 900 cubic meters. The reaction lasted a total of 495 seconds with a net energy coefficient (Q) of 0.8, meaning that the reactor produced 80% of the original input energy. Though a large step in the direction by beating all previous generations of reactors, the reactor was ultimately deemed unsuccessful.

2030s
In the wake of unsuccessful nuclear fusion in 2027, the United States lifted its oil sanctions on China hoping to tap into the African market to reduce Chinese and Saudi Arabian (represented by the oil giant Amari Corp) influence. This created the Joint Petroleum Co-operative Commission (JPCC) by China and other oil exporting nations (mainly former OPEC nations) to combat the competition in the markets. Similarly, the United States and its allies formed the Pacific-Atlantic Global Partnership (PAGP). The result was a polarization of the respective political coalitions without a clear solution and compromise for their respective political motives.

Under the PAGP, the International Nuclear Power Agency (INPA) was founded to overlook all nuclear fusion programs. DTX-02 and DTX-03 were subsequently built in 2032 and 2038 for additional reactor designs. Unlike the DTX-01, both 02 and 03 used stellarator designs for magnetic confinement instead of toroidal tokamak designs. This resulted in a lower energy input, but also sacrificed energy output. In addition to seeking to overtake the JPCC in energy production, PAGP INPA directives included in 2035 that "In late 2034, tests at the Argonne National Laboratory has successfully created first generation antimatter based weaponry ... In their report, it is noted that a tremendous amount of power is required ... power that can only be satisfied by sustained nuclear fusion power in order to mass produce antimatter for further weaponization." In order to accelerate the research process, the PAGP turned to private firms for fusion reaction research by promising militarized contracts. Among them was Melton Industries, the company that would end up fulfilling the goal in 2043.

Relying on oil produced wealth, the JPCC had a rudimentary nuclear fusion program without notable progress.

2040s
Through extensive growth in Lunar Mining Operations in the 2030s by the competition between different corporations, helium-3, a vital nuclear fusion resource is easily extracted from the moon. In 2043, based on the fuel provided, Melton Industries was able to produce a net energy coefficient (Q) of 1.6 based on the reactor DHX-04 on August 04, 2043, using a stellarator design for magnetic confinement and neodymium based magnets for energy harnessing. The DHX-04 marked the first among the Tier-2 nuclear fusion reactors by INPA Reactor Classifications.

Reactor classifications
Due to the long timespan of reactor technology and research, multiple reactor classifications are made by the International Nuclear Power Agency, governed by the PAGP. The distinctions are made based on the power production and the net energy coefficient of the reactors. Reactors belonging to specific classifications are given alphanumeric codenames that represents the type of fuel used, the generation of the reactor design, and the power generation of the reactor. Generally, the higher the tier, the newer the nuclear reactor.

Experimental fusion reactors
Experimental fusion reactors are codenamed with an X. These are reactors in development and are not classified by their weight, size, or fuel type, unlike other tiered reactors. An Experimental fusion reactor can be in any of the reactor tiers. For instance, both the DTX-01 and the DHX-04 are experimental reactors, however the DTX-01 is a Tier-1 reactor based on its fuel usage (deuterium-tritium fuel cycle), while the DHX-04 is a Tier-2 reactor by using a deuterium-helium fuel cycle. Experimental fusion reactors usually have a net energy coefficient (Q) less than 1, hence being in the experimental stage.

Tier-1 fusion reactors
Tier-1 fusion reactors (T1), also called first generation reactors, are a nuclear fusion reactor classification for reactors under 100 meters tall with less than 1,000 cubic meters of plasma confinement space. These reactors are not portable and usually include fusion reactors from the early 1980s to early 2040s. T1 fusion reactors are mostly experimental, though some are fully functional commercial nuclear reactors, one of the most notable being the PADT06, a nuclear fusion reactor built in 2044 running on deuterium-tritium fuel cycles. It replaced the old fission reactors to power the Space Elevator lift vehicle (SP-01), controlled by the PAGP. T1 fusion reactors commonly use deuterium-tritium fuel cycles, though occasionally deuterium-deuterium fuel cycles are found in experimental T1 reactors for research purposes.

Tier-2 fusion reactors
Tier-2 fusion reactors (T2), also called second generation reactors, are a nuclear fusion reactor classification for reactors under 200 meters tall with less than 3,000 cubic meters of plasma confinement space. The famous DHX-04 is a T2 reactor, using a deuterium-helium fuel cycle instead of the "traditional" deuterium-tritium fuel cycle. T2 reactors are the first among the world to have a net energy coefficient (Q) to be greater than 1, meaning that T2 reactors are the first energy efficient nuclear fusion reactors to have been built. Because of the usage of helium-3 for its fuel, T2 reactors rely on Lunar mining operations for the resupply on nuclear fusion. However, due to the power produced from nuclear fusion, only an estimated 1,200 tons of helium-3 is required to suit the world's energy demands every year. Reactors of this tier are commonly built between the 2040s to the 2060s.

Tier-3 fusion reactors
Tier-3 (T3) fusion reactors are generally used in high energy intensive environments that are usually militarized. T3 reactors are taller than 200 meters with more than 3,000 cubic meters of plasma confinement space. These reactors usually have a net energy coefficient (Q) of >3. Its main applications is its participation in the production of antimatter for antimatter based weaponry. These commonly use boron-proton reaction cycles due to the immense amount of temperature that can be reached. An example is the 07-WVX "Titan", built by PAGP operatives in 2066 for antimatter production.

Modular fusion reactors
Modular fusion reactors are fusion reactors mounted on rocket engines. They use neodymium based magnets to direct plasma for thrust.

DHX-04
The DHX-04 (stands for Deuterium-Helium Experimental Reactor mark 04) nuclear fusion reactor is a Tier-2 nuclear fusion reactor and is the first reactor to exceed a Q level of 1. It was completed in 2043 by American multinational energy conglomerate Melton Industries. It is a magnetic confinement nuclear reactor and uses a stellarator design for the confinement torus.

Unlike previous reactors, the DHX-04 uses a deuterium-helium fuel cycle due to the availability of the latter resource since the advent of Lunar mining operations in 2035. Deuterium-helium fuel cycles allows for more efficient plasma confinement due to the positively charged reaction product, as deuterium-helium reactions yield a proton instead of a neutron from deuterium-tritium reactions. As a result, deuterium-helium reactors, like the DHX-04, had a lower energy requirement for plasma confinement, hence making breakeven energy investment a much easier goal.