Hefei Institutes of Physical Science in China achieved a new world record for maintaining a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for almost 18 minutes, a significant milestone in fusion energy research.
China's Hefei Institutes of Physical Science has achieved a new world record for maintaining a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation, a crucial step towards creating a fusion reactor capable of generating vast amounts of energy at minimal cost. The facility sustained the operation for an impressive 1,066 seconds – nearly 18 minutes – significantly surpassing the previous record of 403 seconds set in 2023. Maintaining plasma and keeping it contained is a complex process.
Tokamaks, the devices used for fusion research, achieve this by containing gases within a chamber, often doughnut-shaped, which are heated to extremely high temperatures and subjected to immense pressure until they become plasma. This plasma is so hot that it requires containment with powerful magnets to prevent it from damaging the Tokamak's walls. Fusion reactions, which involve the merging of atomic nuclei, are estimated to produce energy output nearly four million times greater than burning oil or coal, and four times greater than nuclear fission, the process used in current nuclear power plants.Fusion occurs naturally in the Sun, powered by its immense energy and gravity. However, replicating this process on Earth requires a significant amount of energy to heat the plasma. Tokamaks have only recently achieved a net energy gain, exceeding the energy consumed in the process. While the Hefei Institutes' announcement does not specify the amount of heat produced during the long plasma burn or if it achieved a net energy gain, it describes the experiment as a 'monumental significance' and a 'critical step toward the realization of a functional fusion reactor.' While this claim might be considered an overstatement by some, Sony Yuntao, vice president of HFIPS and a director of China's Institute of Plasma Physics, emphasizes the importance of stable high-efficiency operation for thousands of seconds to enable self-sustaining plasma circulation, essential for continuous power generation in future fusion plants. This achievement marks the first time researchers have publicly reported a thousand-second sustained high-confinement plasma operation, potentially justifying the Institute's enthusiastic language. Notably, this achievement comes ahead of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), another leading Tokamak project, which experienced a setback last year
FUSION PLASMA TOKAMAK ENERGY CHINA
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