The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), sometimes called China’s “artificial sun”, has broken the world record for the longest confined plasma reaction, according to reports. The researchers claim to have maintained an ultra-hot plasma for 403 seconds, breaking their previous record of 101 seconds in 2017, and hope the milestone is another step towards the ultimate goal of efficient nuclear fusion.
While other tokamaks have maintained plasma for longer, the researchers claim that the difference lies in how well confined the plasma is.
“The main significance of this new breakthrough lies in its ‘high-confinement mode’, under which the temperature and density of the plasma increase significantly,” said Song Yuntao, director of the Institute of Plasma Physics and one of the scientists involved with EAST, in a statement to SCMP.
Nuclear fusion differs from fission as it involves the merging of atoms to release energy, instead of splitting them. It produces far more energy than nuclear fission, doesn’t create toxic waste, can’t go into meltdown like a traditional nuclear reactor, and is a near-limitless source of energy if it can be harnessed correctly. To do so, however, requires conditions typically only found within the hearts of stars.
Inside a tokamak, gaseous hydrogen fuel is subjected to intense heat and pressure until it becomes plasma hotter than the Sun’s core, creating the perfect environment for nuclear fusion. Powerful magnetic fields confine this plasma, preventing it from touching the walls and maintaining the reaction, which requires precise controls and an intense amount of pressure.
While tokamaks are being pursued by many nations as our best shot at nuclear fusion, maintaining the plasma often requires an amount of energy that outweighs any energy the fusion reaction can put out, making them not viable for energy production. This is why there is currently a race to improve the length of the plasma duration and to improve the tokamak’s efficiency, attempting to make them produce more energy than they require.
Records are tricky to follow in the global fusion race – China claims the longest high-temperature sustained plasma at around 17 minutes, while Germany claims the longest reaction producing a gigajoule of energy, while the USA claimed the first net positive energy production from a fusion reaction. So, if you’re wondering why there seems to be a new record broken every month, that’s because there essentially is.
Source Link: China Claims "Artificial Sun" Has Broken The World Record For Confined Plasma