China's "artificial Sun", a name for the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), has broken its own record to create a milestone that can pave the way toward the development of a nuclear fusion reactor. EAST is an experimental nuclear fusion research device with three distinctive features: a non-circular cross-section, fully superconducting magnets, and fully water-cooled plasma facing components.
On Wednesday, April 12, China's artificial Sun achieved a steady state high confinement plasma operation for 403 seconds, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
In 2017, China's artificial Sun had set a world record by achieving this operation for 101 seconds. Through the recent breakthrough, which was achieved after more than 1,20,000 shots, EAST broke its own record.
What is nuclear fusion?
A nuclear fusion reaction is a process in which two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus, and releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the added masses of the two original nuclei.
Last year, US scientists made a major breakthrough on nuclear fusion energy. For the first time, scientists successfully conducted a nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain.
As many as 192 high energy lasers were used to achieve the nuclear fusion reaction. The milestone is called scientific energy breakeven. It produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it.
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What is a steady state high-confinement plasma operation?
The containment of a plasma by various forces at the extreme conditions necessary for thermonuclear fusion reactions is known as plasma confinement, according to the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The conditions necessary for thermonuclear fusion reactions exist naturally in stars, where the force of gravity sustains the plasma.
Researchers use strong magnetic fields to confine plasma inside a laboratory.
A steady state high-confinement plasma operation is an operational regime in which plasma confinement is performed at high energy levels. During this process, the plasma reaches a state of high energy confinement and produces fusion power with very hot plasmas. The process occurs with a low consumption of magnetic flux, which is the measurement of the total magnetic field that passes through a given area.
EAST’s breakthrough: explained
EAST, which is located at the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, aims to create nuclear fusion like the Sun, using substances abundant in the sea. If this is achieved, it will provide a stream of clean energy.
According to a Xinhua report, Song Yuntao, the director of the Institute of Plasma Physics, said that the main significance of the breakthrough lies in the high confinement mode. This means that the experiment is important because plasma confinement was achieved at a high energy with low consumption of magnetic flux, and for a long duration of 403 seconds.
During the high-confinement plasma operation, the temperatures and densities of particles were greatly increased. Yuntao said that this will lay a solid foundation for improving the power generation efficiency of future fusion power plants, and help reduce costs.
China's artificial Sun uses raw materials that are unlimited on Earth, and its latest breakthrough is a step forward toward the development of a nuclear fusion reactor. Nuclear fusion energy is called the ideal "ultimate energy" for the future of humanity because this form of energy is considered safer and cleaner.
According to the report, scientists have completed the engineering design of the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, which they aim to build in the future, and could be the "next-generation artificial Sun".