FPN11-24
Frank Chen Publishes Book on Fusion
May 5, 2011
Francis F. Chen, Professor Emeritus, Electrical Engineering Department,
UCLA, has published a book with the provocative title: An Indispensable
Truth: How Fusion Power Can Save the Planet (Springer). It can be
ordered ($49.95) or viewed online at
http://www.springer.com and search
on the author’s name or on ISBN 978-1-4419-7819-6. It can also be
ordered from Amazon.
In addition to being a fairly comprehensive treatment of fusion research
and its status, the 433-page book also treats climate change, and other
energy sources. In the book’s preface, Chen states:
"Most legislators and journalists have regarded fusion as a pipe dream
with very little chance of success. They are misinformed, because times
have changed. Achieving fusion energy is difficult, but the progress
made in the past two decades has been remarkable. Mother Nature has
actually been kind to us, giving us beneficial effects that were totally
unexpected. The physics issues are now understood well enough that
serious engineering can begin. An Apollo 11-type program can bring
fusion online in time to stabilize climate change before it is too late."
About the book, Chen says:
- For the general public and students, it presents the evidence that
climate change is caused by mankind and what we can do about it.
- For the general public, students, and environmentalists, it
discusses the reserves of fossil fuels, the pollution caused by their
use, mitigation methods, and attempts to extract the last of them.
- For the general public and students, "green" energy sources such as
wind, solar, and nuclear are explained, giving their pros and cons and
their energy payback times. Hydrogen and electric cars are included.
For scientifically-minded readers, the physics of how each source works
and the forefront of research are given in some detail.
- For the general public, plasma fusion for energy is explained ab
initio, with no assumption of previous scientific knowledge. There is a
little history and an insight into the possibilities. The science of
magnetic fusion is then treated in detail for physicists, science buffs,
and students.
- For policymakers and engineers, there is an exhaustive treatment of
fusion technology, ending with a financial analysis of fusion
development. The data are of the type that will help political leaders
make informed decisions on energy policy.
- For dreamers, the types of fusion reactors possible in the far
future are described which will give mankind an inexhaustible supply of
safe and clean energy.
Frank can be reached at ffchen@ee.ucla.edu