The nuclear fusion produces large amounts of energy by fusing atoms and is the reaction in the core of modern nuclear reactors that propel electricity. Technological advances in relation to energy production to achieve the expected nuclear fusion are increasingly common. As part of that process It is essential to have a ‘Tokamak’.
A Tokamak is a device that retains the plasma using magnetic fields to create fusion reactions, and one that exists in New Jersey has established a new fusion plasma record. This is possible by enclose said reaction in tungstenwhich is a heat-resistant metal that allows plasmas to be kept hot longer than carbon plasmas.
The new nuclear fusion record
Nuclear fusion is a process that occurs when atoms fuse, shrinking and releasing a huge amount of energy.. Earlier this year, the Korea Fusion Energy Institute announced that KSTARhis artificial Sun project to generate energy from nuclear fusion, had reached nuclear fusion for about 100 seconds. This was one of the most critical points of this type of technology, since it is very difficult to have stabilized plasma for longer.
But now, a new record of keeping plasma stable and has been achieved in WEST, which is a Tokamak operated by the French Commission for Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy (CEA). West 1.15 gigajoules of energy were introduced and it maintained a plasma of about 50 million degrees Celsius for 6 minuteswhich has set a new record.
This occurred once scientists covered their interior with tungsten and several researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory used a x-ray detector inside to measure plasma appearance and conditions that made this possible. In the words of Xavier Litaudon, CEA scientist and president of the Coordination of International Challenges in Long Duration Operations, he states that They have reached a steady state despite being in a challenging environment due to this tungsten wall.
In the case of KSTAR, They changed the carbon diverters for tungsten ones, something that has also been crucial to establishing the new record in West. Furthermore, Luis Delgado-Aparicio, principal scientist of physics research, has emphasized that tugsten wall environment is much more challenging than carbon use. It Compare it to grabbing your cat at home instead of petting the wildest lion.
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