CNN reported that scientists in Korea have announced a new world record for the time it takes to maintain a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius - 7 times that of the Sun's core - in a fusion reaction experiment, this is considered a an important step forward for this future energy technology.
The Korea Fusion Energy Institute's (KFE) Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) fusion reactor, also known as an "artificial sun", has managed to maintain a temperature of 100 million degrees in 48 seconds.
This achievement was recorded in tests from December 12 to February 2023, beating the previous record of 2 seconds set in 2024.
Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research Fusion Reactor – KSTAR. (Photo: Getty Images)
Fusion reactions simulate the process of creating light and heat from stars, by fusing hydrogen nuclei and other light elements to release enormous energy.
Scientists hope fusion reactors can provide unlimited energy without causing planet-warming carbon pollution. But mastering this process on Earth is extremely difficult.
According to KSTAR Research Center Director Yoon Si-woo, maintaining high-density and high-temperature plasma for fusion reactions to take place most effectively over a long period of time is very important.
Mr. Yoon said scientists extended this time by adjusting the process, including using tungsten instead of carbon in the “guide” parts that remove heat and impurities from the reaction. fusion created.
The Korean National Science and Technology Research Council (NST) says tungsten has the highest melting point among metals. KSTAR successfully maintained H mode for a longer period of time largely thanks to this upgrade.
NST reviews: “Compared to previous carbon diverters, the new tungsten diverter experiences only a 25% increase in surface temperature under similar heat loading. This provides significant benefits for long pulse high thermal energy operations.”
KSTAR's ultimate goal is to be able to maintain a plasma temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for 300 seconds by 2026, which Director Yoon Si-woo calls a "critical point" to be able to expand the scale of thermal operations. lymph nodes.
What scientists are doing in Korea will contribute to the development of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in southern France. ITER is the world's largest fusion reactor that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion, involving dozens of countries, including South Korea, China, the US, Russia and EU countries. .
Mr. Yoon Si-woo emphasized KSTAR's work “will play a very important role in ensuring the expected performance in ITER operations on time and promoting the commercialization of fusion energy.”
In 2022, scientists at the US's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory made history when they successfully experimented with a nuclear fusion reaction that released more fusion energy than was used.
In February this year, scientists in the British city of Oxford announced they had set a record for generating "greater than ever" amount of energy in a fusion reaction. They generated 2 megajoules of fusion energy in 69 seconds, enough to power about 5 homes for the same amount of time.
Still, the commercialization of fusion energy still has a long way to go as scientists attempt to solve complex scientific and technical difficulties.
The fusion reaction, said Aneeqa Khan, a fusion researcher at the University of Manchester in England “are not ready and therefore cannot help us solve the climate crisis right now.”
“However, if progress continues, fusion is likely to become part of the green energy mix by the second half of the century,” Mrs. Khan said.
