China’s artificial sun sets a new record for nuclear fusion

China has reached a milestone in nuclear fusion research, managing to preserve superheated plasma for seven minutes in its artificial sun..

The artificial sun project

Nuclear fusion is the foundation of China’s artificial sun project, which seeks an unlimited, waste-free source of energy. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in Hefei managed to hold the plasma for 403 seconds, surpassing the previous record.

This breakthrough was achieved after more than 120,000 cycles and represents an important step towards developing efficient and economical thermonuclear fusion reactors. In addition, it will serve as an experimental base for the operation of the international experimental thermonuclear reactor and the development of fusion reactors in China.

EAST’s goal is to produce nuclear fusion similar to that which occurs in the sun, using abundant materials in the sea to continuously generate clean energy.

Recent developments

China had already broken a record in January 2022 by heating a ring of plasma to temperatures five times hotter than the sun for more than 17 minutes.. At that time, the eastern reactor maintained a temperature of 70 million degrees Celsius for 1056 seconds.

ASIPP Director Song Yuntao said that the high dielectric mode of plasma is the key to greatly increasing the temperature and particle density, laying the foundation for more efficient and economical fusion stations in the future.

In January, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated a new plasma operating scenario, called Super I-Mode, in the EAST reactor.

Benefits of fusion energy

Fusion energy uses virtually unlimited raw materials on Earth and is considered the “ultimate energy” for humanity’s future, as it is safer and cleaner than fossil fuels. Fusing hydrogen atoms to form helium at high temperatures and pressures does not emit greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste.

Researchers have been working on nuclear fusion for more than 70 years, but it has been difficult to replicate the conditions inside stellar cores. Fusion reactors, such as tokamak, operate at extremely high temperatures and confine the plasma inside a reactor chamber with strong magnetic fields.

Technical challenges

The main technical challenge is to find a way to trap the plasma without damaging the reactor walls. Reaching temperatures higher than those of the Sun is relatively easy, but keeping the plasma confined has proven to be a major hurdle.

Since its inception in 2006, the EAST reactor has conducted more than 120,000 experiments to reach this latest milestone, and it has been a free testing ground for scientists around the world. China is also involved in the world’s largest fusion reactor, the International Experimental Thermonuclear Reactor, which is being developed in France.

The future of nuclear fusion in China

China has completed the engineering design of the Future Engineering Fusion Test Reactor (CFETR), which is a new generation of artificial sun. With the aim of building the world’s first experimental fusion reactor, this project marks a milestone in nuclear fusion research and development.

CFETR is expected to be completed around 2035, and once operational, it will produce a significant amount of heat with a maximum capacity of 2 gigawatts. This project represents China’s ambitious commitment to fusion energy as a sustainable and safe solution to the energy future of the country and the world.

Briefly

An artificial sun in eastern China set a new record by keeping plasma superheated for seven minutesapproaching the goal of producing energy through nuclear fusion.

Advances in this field have the potential to revolutionize energy production, providing a safe, clean, and unlimited source of energy for the future of humanity.