Budny 10:00
L18
ETHICS OF FUSION ENERGY AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE STANDARDS
OF ENGINEERING ACROSS THE GLOBE
Justin Szarmach (jms480@pitt.edu)
INTRODCUTION: CURRENT ENERGY IS
DECLINING
As it stands in not only our nation but the world as a
whole, current energy sources are becoming one of two rather
detrimental things: either dangerous, or nearing extinction. In
the field of the so called dangerous sources, we have things
such as nuclear power. While it may be rather advantageous,
it poses one of the largest threats known to man if left to
meltdown. Now, I must stress that energy sources nearing
extinction (i.e. coal, natural gas, etc.) are still rather abundant,
but can a will deplete within time. As it currently stands, and
with all currently known sources, oil, gas, and coal are set to
be depleted by the year 2088 [1]. To put that into a small
perspective, that’s a mere 74 years from this date. There will
be some freshmen at the University of Pittsburgh currently
who still would be around to tell the tale of the fall of
humanity. But that fall can be prevented. The only form of
doing so would be to acquire a new, powerful source of
energy capable of replacing every current form known to
mankind. But what could possibly take on not only this role,
but even a savior of mankind as well?
FUSION: THE NEXT STEP
Fusion. The new energy. But is it truly a “new”
source? The sun of our solar system has been at it for well
over 5 billion years, so why is it that humans have yet to
harness that power? Those steps are currently within our
grasp. To control such an immense power, a machine capable
of holding and using the power must be created. An ITER, or
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is
currently being used to bring these long-sought dreams a
reality [2]. The ethics behind the reaction need to be analyzed
based on the code of ethics from the AICHE and NSPE. To
begin into the ethics of fusion energy as a whole, one must
first understand the reaction inside and out, from its beginning
to its end.
WHAT IS FUSION?
Fusion is the reaction that occurs between Deuterium
and Tritium ions, both ionic forms of the element Hydrogen.
The two then combine into a larger, heavier nucleus (Helium)
and release a large amount of energy at the same time [3]. This
reaction happens in our sun, as well as every other star in the
universe and is responsible for producing the heat capable of
sustaining life on planets. For these reactions to even begin,
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2014-10-28
highly confined space and conditions need to exist such as a
star’s core. To be able to replicate such a confined and
particular reaction, special circumstances must be present.
Not only does it require an astounding temperature of 150
million degrees Celsius, but a magnetic field must also be
present in order to control the plasma that is created [2]. To
hold a reaction of that magnitude, a device called tokamak
must be used within the ITER to generate the conditions
specified. The neutrons given off by the reaction heat the
tokamak device, and the hopes for future reactors are that the
heat can be used to generate steam, and by that steam,
electricity. While this feat is quite difficult, once
accomplished will provide a source of energy that implements
using a less amount of energy that is produced.
SCENARIO
With fusion becoming a more and more plausible
form of efficient energy as time goes on, a certain company I
work for begins to manufacture and produce capable fusion
reactors to sell to power plants. Knowing that these reactions
give off more energy than put in, fusion energy is becoming
the way of the future and put other forms of energy out of use
[2]. The reactors would be placed in plants all over the world
and could be used entirely on their own to create the
electricity needed to power us. Parts of the world not familiar
with electricity could be given this form of energy for the first
time. Technologies capable of sending humans above and
beyond any known limits could be spawned from such a
powerful source. As it stands, fusion reactors could send the
world into new era, if and only if they are perfected.
My supervisor, Conner, informs me that after
months of work and production, a marketable reactor has
finally been completed. After assisting in the preparation to
make our first sale to a local power plant, Conner also tells
me that although the reactor is completed and in running
condition, its durability is often inconsistent, but that we
should let it go and simply hope for the best. To attempt and
keep me to stay quiet about the faults, Conner offers me a
substantial promotion along with reminding me of my loyalty
to our company and that our reputation is a stake. He tells me
that my job will be at stake and that he can ruin my career if I
were to tell anyone else in the company or the power plant.
He plans to seal the deal with the power plant, and leave any
and all consequences up to them.
Although the immediate consequences are nothing
of catastrophic failure (i.e. explosions, radiation), submitting
these faulty reactors could leave to imminent power failures,
creating problems for all grids attached to said plant. These
Justin Szarmach
are purely the extent of the problems, as compared to a nuclear
meltdown, fusion reactors can be disabled within seconds to
prevent any kind of damage [2].
company. These loses, most likely miniscule, would seem to
be even less when compared to the overall outcome of a
reliable reactor rather than an inconsistent one. Following the
code of ethics must be the foremost quality of any company
hoping to engineer technologies of this magnitude, otherwise
the results could be severe in the face of the public.
CODE OF ETHICS
In engineering, ethics are an immense part of every
situation, from minimal feats to the largest of quests. For
engineering to exist in a fair manner that continues to
beneficial to man, ethics are absolutely required. Engineering
without ethics could potentially harm or even be fatal to the
public, which strictly goes against the code of ethics [4]. To
keep engineers as the pioneers of the future of society, one
must be sure to follow the code of ethics relevant to all
engineers, as well as any additional ethical ideals proclaimed
by their specific field of the engineering disciplines. Specific
to the company scenario, only a particular few of the ethics
represented by the code must be brought to attention and
addressed accordingly. To uphold the code of ethics set forth
by not only chemical but all engineers, reporting a case that
could potentially harm people to a higher up or employer
would be an appropriate response to the scenario produced
above [4]. To protect the welfare of the public is a first and
foremost rule, and releasing a product with only a partial
durability would violate code of ethics. Myself, I would be
forced to report the situation to not only someone higher than
my supervisor, but also to the company at risk of purchasing
faulty product. Whether or not this occurs before or after
contacting the power plant would rely solely on the severity
of the situation based on how near the product was to being
sold. It also goes against a numerous amount of personal
morals, simply put that lying on the scale of endangering
human life would cause a negative psychological reaction.
This alone would be enough to set off red flags, and
potentially cause me to bring up the situation to my supervisor
or even those beyond his range of authority. The sale of the
product itself, being faulty against the knowledge of the
consumer, violates ethics put forth to prevent a so called
“deceptive act” [4]. Creating this product also happens to be
a relatively new practice; not many are qualified in the
creation of a fusion reactor. And amongst those whom do
qualify, merely one has briefly accomplished the goal of a
larger output of energy than input [2]. This output, although
brief, marked the beginning of the next phase towards a
reliable fusion reactor. Of course, this means that not only
would my company need to create a product of that stature,
we would also be required by ethics of chemical engineering
to make sure that it functions properly. This means that being
competent in the field of fusion is not only helpful, but it is
absolutely required [5]. In the end of the scenario, my duty as
a chemical engineer at the forefront of new age technology
would be to report my supervisor, and prevent the sale of the
fusion reactor to the power plant until a model capable of full
consistent functionality is produced. This may mean delaying
the production of the reactor, even if it may mean loses for the
MISCONCEPTIONS AND FURTHER
ETHICAL ANALYSIS
Fusion reactions are not the same thing as nuclear
reactions. Nuclear power requires radioactive substances,
such as uranium and plutonium. Fusion requires hydrogen
ions, and yields little radioactivity with no lethal or even
minimal effects on humans. It would simply stay within the
reactor, and dissipate [6]. Many often associate nuclear and
fusion as the one in the same, without looking further into
what actually goes into the reaction and what are the
outcomes. When it comes down to looking at whether or not
fusion power outside of a faulty scenario is ethical, we need
to break it down and look at whether or not potential problems
could arise. Fusion, as a whole, has dangerous components
only if looked at separately. 150 million degree temperatures,
manipulating nuclei, and generating heat. Yes, these would be
issues on their own (outside of a star of course), but the
capabilities of tokamak allow the reaction to be ceased
immediately, and halt all of the previously stated effects. The
design allows for none of these to be released into the
surrounding area, as it is confined to a magnetic field within
the tokamak [2]. This also removes any and all threat of fusion
being used in weapons of mass destruction, because the
reaction driving any part of the weapon could easily be
disabled, unlike nuclear weapons which have caused
problems and destruction in the world’s past. When put
against a nuclear reactor, things such as meltdowns and over
reactions come to mind. Chernobyl is a topic familiar to many,
and considered to be one of the biggest tragedies of the
modern era associated with technology. A fusion reactor,
should a chaotic event begin to occur, would simply be put
out and restarted, all within a few hours of each other. This
means no catastrophic meltdowns, no fears of nuclear waste
leaking into water supplies, and no fear of explosions capable
of annihilating all surrounding areas. To finalize this, nuclear
reactions and fusion reactions are not the same. Nuclear
creates a limited power based on the fear of it over reacting,
while fusion will create a power that cannot pose a threat that
requires the ceasing the entire reaction and thus halting the
production of energy entirely.
VALUE OF RESEARCHING FUSION AND
ETHICS
As a student aspiring to become a chemical engineer,
I realize it is part of my duty to uphold the values and ethics
set up by societies of engineers. For the first time, I have put
2
Justin Szarmach
forth the time and effort to collect research data on a particular
area of engineering, namely fusion. I find this particular
inquiry to be rather interesting, and found that the projects
associated with fusion such as ITER follow the ethics listed
by within the National Society of Professional Engineers and
AICHE Codes of Ethics [2], [3]. This data has also been
compiled into a professionally formatted paper such as would
be required by real engineers. Writing this paper helps to
educate students on the ethics of engineering and on a certain
topic, which can be used to give back to the world after a job
in an engineering field is acquired as put forth by the
American Society for Engineering Education [7]. Continued
study of fusion reactions have no only inspired me to continue
my engineering ideal, but also created a desire to work on
ITER and fusion in the future.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/a-veteran-offusion-science-proposes-narrowing-thefield/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
[7] Our Mission (2014). “Our Mission” American Society for
Engineering Education (online article).
http://www.asee.org/about-us/the-organization/our-mission
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
“Public Health and Safety – Delay in Addressing Fire Code
Violations” (case study)
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/BER%20Case%20No
%2013-11-FINAL.pdf
“Cases and Scenarios” (case study)
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases.aspx
“Ethics Cases” (case study)
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p
CONCLUSION
Overall, the impact of fusion energy as whole has the
potential to remove worry of our depleting natural resources.
It presents a whole new level of power to be used across the
globe, and represents a particular fondness of reliability,
safely, and environmental impact. By an ethical view, the
ITER and fusion as a whole tend to promote a positive view
to public welfare and protection. It is important that we do not
alter our research and work toward a fusion reactor capable of
being the one used for the template to change humankind and
the way that we live our lives. Myself, I hope to one day be a
part of this endeavor, and bring my knowledge of fusion and
its ethics to the chemical engineering world. The application
of ethics through scenarios is what truly defines right and
wrong, rather than a dictionary definition of made up concept.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Charles Kritkausky, Conner Hassinger,
Kyle Sucro, and Ryan Catalogna for the motivation to write
my paper. Also, Dan Budny because dragons.
REFERENCES
[1] The End Of Fossil Fuels (2011). “The End Of Fossil
Fuels” Ecotricity (online article)
https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energyindependence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels
[2] What is Fusion? (2014). “What is Fusion?” ITER (online
article). http://www.iter.org/sci/whatisfusion
[3] Technology (2014). “Technology” Fusion For Energy
(online article).
http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/understandingfusion/techno
logy.aspx
[4] NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers (2014). “NSPE Code
of Ethics for Engineers” National Society of Professional
Engineers (online article).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
[5] Code of Ethics (2014). “Code of Ethics” American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (online article).
http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[6] A. Revkin (2012). “A Veteran of Fusion Science Proposes
Narrowing the Field” The New York Times (online article).
3