China’s “Artificial Sun” sets fusion record by maintaining steady state high confinement plasma at high temperatures.
China’s “artificial sun” set a new global benchmark on Monday by maintaining steady-state high-confinement plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds.
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), situated in Hefei, Anhui Province, achieved this milestone in H-mode, a high-confinement operational mode. This accomplishment highlights the potential for achieving stable performance in future fusion reactors.
H-mode minimizes turbulence at the plasma’s edge, improving energy retention and doubling the confinement time compared to L-mode. It is the preferred mode for next-generation fusion reactors, including projects like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). EAST’s extended H-mode operation at extreme temperatures provides crucial insights for advancing practical fusion energy solutions.
EAST is designed to replicate the Sun’s fusion processes by using hydrogen and deuterium as fuel. The findings from EAST play a pivotal role in developing large-scale reactors capable of producing clean, sustainable energy.
The facility employs cutting-edge technologies, such as superconducting magnets, ultra-high vacuum systems, and precision controls, to handle intense magnetic fields and electric currents. With nearly one million interconnected components, EAST has secured approximately 2,000 patents.
Since its launch in 2006, EAST has conducted over 150,000 plasma experiments, continually advancing the boundaries of long-pulse, high-confinement operations. The recent achievement of sustaining H-mode for 1,066 seconds surpasses previous records, including 30 seconds in 2012, 60 seconds in 2016, 101 seconds in 2017, and 403 seconds in 2023.
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