The goal of these scientists is to develop a sustainable power source through nuclear fusion, often referred to as the ‘holy grail’ of clean energy.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced that their nuclear reactor, known as the ‘artificial sun’, operated successfully for twice the duration of their previous test. It ran for 1,066 seconds, equating to just over 17 minutes.
The ambition to replicate the Sun’s nuclear fusion process has moved beyond science fiction, with global scientific efforts aimed at making this dream a reality.
Mastering nuclear fusion could provide an endless supply of clean energy, avoiding the environmental drawbacks of fossil fuels and the hazardous waste associated with nuclear fission.
A nuclear fusion reactor works by merging atomic nuclei to release vast amounts of energy, which can then be harnessed for electricity.
In a statement, CAS revealed that their Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (East) reactor surpassed the previous operation time of 403 seconds.
The statement noted: “The duration of 1,066 seconds is a critical advancement in fusion research.”
Despite this success, the journey to perfect fusion energy is fraught with challenges.
Researchers must develop a method to consistently sustain temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius with long-term stability, alongside achieving precise control over the fusion process.
Song Yuntao, vice president at CAS’s Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, explained that to maintain the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, a fusion device must operate ‘at high efficiency for thousands of seconds’.
This milestone was achieved due to upgrades made to East since previous experiments, including a doubling of the heating system’s power output.
Researchers believe these accomplishments offer ‘invaluable insights’ for the global progress towards a functional nuclear fusion reactor.
It remains to be seen whether energy cost concerns will persist in the coming decades.