Nuclear binding-energy difference → Electrical work

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.20 × C.27 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Nuclear heatfamily: Nuclear heatD.20 × C.08 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Heat engine (thermomechanical)family: Heat engine (thermomechanical)D.20 × C.10 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Piezoelectricfamily: Piezoelectric

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Carnot limit · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ 1 − T_c/T_h for any heat engine between reservoirs at T_h and T_c
• Electromechanical coupling factor · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  converted fraction per cycle ≤ k² = d²/(s·ε)

Steps

1. 01
   Nuclear binding-energy difference —drives→ Nuclear fusiondemonstratedclaim record

   nuclear → kinetic · loss to radiative

   • for a power-producing D–T thermonuclear plasma: ion temperatures of order 10 keV and a sufficient density–confinement product (Lawson); these are power-balance conditions, not prerequisites for an individual fusion reaction

   plasma · above ~700 K

   Fusion reactions and target-level fusion energy release are experimentally demonstrated (target gain > 1 at NIF, 2022–2024); net electrical output from a fusion power plant is not.

   refs [1] [2] [3]
2. 02
   Nuclear fusion —produces→ Temperature gradientdemonstratedclaim record

   kinetic → thermal · loss to radiative

   • energetic products (neutrons, alphas) deposit their kinetic energy in a blanket or the plasma, which then runs hotter than its surroundings

   refs [2] [3]
3. 03
   Temperature gradient —drives→ Thermal expansionestablishedclaim record

   thermal → mechanical

   refs [4] [5]
4. 04
   Thermal expansion —produces→ Mechanical stress or strainestablishedclaim record

   mechanical → mechanical

   • non-uniform thermal expansion is mechanically incompatible across adjacent regions of a solid, or is constrained by an adjoining material or structure, producing a strain or stress gradient; the constraining region may be the cooler part of the same continuous specimen rather than a separate stiffer body

   solid

   refs [6] [5]
5. 05
   Mechanical stress or strain —drives→ Direct piezoelectric effectestablishedclaim record

   mechanical → electrical · loss to thermal

   D = d · σ · piezoelectric charge coefficient d [C/N]

   • a non-centrosymmetric crystal or a poled ferroelectric ceramic or polymer
   • stress below the depoling and fracture limits

   solid · non-centrosymmetric crystal required

   refs [7] [6] [8]
6. 06
   Direct piezoelectric effect —produces→ Separated surface chargeestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical

   refs [6]
7. 07
   Separated surface charge —converts into→ Electrical workestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical · loss to thermal

   • electrodes on the charged surfaces connected through a load

   refs [9]

Evidence for the complete composition · 0

No source on record for this exact composition. The sources below support the individual steps, not the route as a whole.

Evidence for the constituent relations · 9

1. [1]
   H. A. Bethe. Energy production in stars (1939)

   Physical Review 55, 434 · doi:10.1103/PhysRev.55.434 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   J. D. Lawson. Some criteria for a power producing thermonuclear reactor (1957)

   Proceedings of the Physical Society B 70, 6–10 · doi:10.1088/0370-1301/70/1/303 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
3. [3]
   H. Abu-Shawareb, et al. (Indirect Drive ICF Collaboration). Achievement of target gain larger than unity in an inertial fusion experiment (2024)

   Physical Review Letters 132, 065102 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.065102 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
4. [4]
   A. Bejan. Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics (4th ed.) (2016)

   Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119245964 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
5. [5]
   S. Iwakiri, Y. Miyata, T. Mori. Observation of universal thermopolarization effect in insulators (2026)

   arXiv:2605.17224 (17 May 2026), National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba · arxiv.org/abs/2605.17224 · record
6. [6]
   J. F. Nye. Physical Properties of Crystals: Their Representation by Tensors and Matrices (1985)

   Oxford University Press · book, no DOI · record
7. [7]
   J. Curie, P. Curie. Développement par compression de l'électricité polaire dans les cristaux hémièdres à faces inclinées (1880)

   Bulletin de la Société minéralogique de France 3, 90–93 · doi:10.3406/bulmi.1880.1564 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
8. [8]
   A. Erturk, D. J. Inman. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting (2011)

   Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119991151 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
9. [9]
   H. B. Radousky, H. Liang. Energy harvesting: an integrated view of materials, devices and applications (2012)

   Nanotechnology 23, 502001 · doi:10.1088/0957-4484/23/50/502001 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record