Nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion, or fusing together two atoms to generate energy, has been touted for decades as the ultimate clean-energy source, but it remains experimental. Seen here is a diagram of a type of nuclear fusion generator pursued by a company called General Fusion. Once a plasma gas is created, the pneumatic pistons would cause a shock wave to induce fusion and the release of heat. That heat would then be converted to steam to generate electricity in a traditional generator. For a longer explanation of fusion, see a related story on nuclear fusion research at MIT.