The Plasma Temperature Of China's Artificial Sun Achieves 120 Million C

Recently, the all-superconducting tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device (EAST), known as the "artificial sun" of the Hefei In...

Recently, the all-superconducting tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device (EAST), known as the "artificial sun" of the Hefei Institute of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, achieved 1056 seconds of long-pulse high-parameter plasma operation, which is currently the world's largest tokamak device Maximum time for high temperature plasma operation.

The raw materials of nuclear fusion energy are almost inexhaustible on the earth, and the emissions are pollution-free. It is regarded as the "ultimate energy source". EAST is a major national science and technology infrastructure approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. It has a nuclear fusion reaction mechanism similar to the sun and is used to explore the application of nuclear fusion energy.

Xinhuanet reported on December 31 that the two major difficulties in realizing nuclear fusion power generation are to achieve ignition at hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius and stable long-term restraint control. Gong Xianzu, the general manager of the experimental operation of the EAST device, said: "In the first half of 2021, we maintained a plasma with an electron temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds. This time we maintained a long-pulse high-parameter plasma with an electron temperature of nearly 70 million degrees Celsius. In 1056 seconds, the injection energy reached 1.73 gigajoules. This is the goal of two different stages, and the realization of the thousand-second plasma operation will lay a solid scientific and experimental foundation for the future construction of a stable fusion engineering reactor.”

Song Yuntao, vice president of the Hefei Institute of Material Science and director of the Institute of Plasma Physics, said: "The thousand-second plasma operation has once again challenged the world tokamak record. We have fully verified the plasma control technology for future fusion power generation and promoted It is a big step forward from basic research to engineering application."

The report also pointed out that at present, the plasma current of 1 megaampere, the plasma with an electron temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, and the continuous operation time of 1000 seconds, the above three conditions have been realized on EAST respectively.

On May 28, at the Institute of Plasma, Hefei Institute of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the all-superconducting tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device East Super Ring (EAST) set another world record: achieved a repeatable 120 million degrees Celsius 101 seconds plasma operation and 160 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds plasma operation.

What is the Eastern Super ring?

Before understanding the Eastern Superring, we must first understand what a tokamak is. Tokamak is an annular container that uses magnetic confinement to achieve controlled nuclear fusion. Its name Tokamak comes from the Russian abbreviation of "magnetic coil annular vacuum chamber". At the center of the tokamak is a circular vacuum chamber with coils wound around it. When energized, a huge spiral magnetic field will be generated inside the tokamak, which will heat the plasma in it to a very high temperature to achieve the purpose of nuclear fusion. 

Dongfang Chaohuan is a magnetic confinement nuclear fusion experimental device independently designed and developed by the Institute of Plasma, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has complete intellectual property rights. It is the first Toca in the world to achieve steady-state high-constraint mode operation with a duration of hundreds of seconds. Mark nuclear fusion experimental device. The main part of the device is 11 meters high, 8 meters in diameter, and weighs 400 tons. It is composed of six major components, including ultra-high vacuum chamber, longitudinal field coil, poloidal field coil, inner and outer cold shields, outer vacuum Dewar, and support system.Because the reaction principle of nuclear fusion is similar to that of the sun, the Eastern Super Ring is also called the "artificial sun".

What is the significance of studying the Eastern Super ring?

Due to its advantages of cleanliness, environmental protection, safety, and extremely rich reserves of raw materials, fusion energy is considered to be a strategic energy source that can ultimately solve human energy problems. problem.Although little known, the Eastern Superring is actually closely related to our lives. In the context of increasingly tense human resources and deteriorating environment, fusion energy is the trend of human energy utilization in the future and has an important impact on public life. This time, China's man-made sun Dongfang super ring set a new world record, which means that human beings have made another breakthrough in their efforts to turn nuclear fusion into a clean new energy source in the future