The European nuclear fusion "artificial sun" has reached a new milestone. The Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK successfully generated 59 million joules (MJ) of energy for 5 seconds, with an average power of 11MW, setting a new record.
According to the latest press release, JET's previous experimental record in 1997 was 22 million joules of thermal energy, setting a new record at the time, with a peak power of 16MW. Although power generation did not exceed the 25 year old record, this time the focus was on extending the energy output of nuclear fusion to more than double the 1997 record.
Over the years, scientists have hoped to create a more stable, safe, and low-carbon energy environment through nuclear fusion technology. Among them, JET mainly explores Tokamak nuclear fusion technology and currently possesses the world's largest magnetically confined fusion physics experimental equipment. At the Callum Nuclear Fusion Center of the British Atomic Energy Authority, magnetic fields and high-temperature plasma are used to induce nuclear fusion reactions. The International Thermonuclear Fusion Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is being built in France, is also based on magnetically confined fusion research.
Although power generation in the current instance was not high, only enough to boil 60 kettles, head of JET operations, Joe Milnes, believes, "The JET experiment brings us closer to the goal of nuclear fusion power generation. We can create miniature stars in this device, and in maintaining high efficiency for 5 seconds, it can be said to be a new milestone.”
At present, many countries are also investing in nuclear fusion research. It is a long race. Dr. Athina Kappatou of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics pointed out that nuclear fusion research is long, complex, and difficult, which is why we must ensure that scientists, engineers, and technicians can pass on what they have learned from generation to generation.
For example, EUROfusion is composed of 5,000 scientists and engineers from the EU, Switzerland, and Ukraine. In the future, ITER will also be based on JET. After that, JET may be retired after 2023, and then ITER will be retired in 2025 or launch plasma experiments shortly after.
（Image： CCFE ）