您的当前位置:首页 > 新闻中心 > World's largest tokamak fusion reactor powers up 正文
时间:2024-09-22 05:37:06 来源:网络整理 编辑:新闻中心
The world's largest and most advanced tokamak fusion reactor has gone online as the EU/Japanese 370-
The world's largest and most advanced tokamak fusion reactor has gone online as the EU/Japanese 370-tonne JT-60SA reactor was fired up for the first time during an inauguration ceremony in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
First conceived by Soviet scientists in the 1950s, tokamaks are toroidal reactors that are one of the leading contenders to become the first commercially viable fusion power plants. The name is a Russian acronym for Toroidal Chamber with Magnetic Coils and consists of a large doughnut-shaped chamber surrounded by magnetic coils that compress a plasma made of hydrogen isotopes until it reaches pressures and temperatures that are only found in the interior of the Sun to initiate fusion.
In concept, it's a simple machine and achieving fusion is relatively easy, but in practice it's extremely difficult to build a reactor that can maintain a sustained fusion reaction that generates more power than is fed into it. The Japan Torus-60 (JT-60) project has been running since 1970 and the JT-60SA is that latest and biggest iteration.
The JT-60SA is currently a joint project by the EU and Japan, with participation by Britain, which signed a separate agreement after leaving the Union. The original reactor was upgraded several times as technology evolved, resulting in a complete disassembly and reassembly in 2013, with work finishing in 2020. Unfortunately, this was followed by a massive electrical short in 2021 that necessitated two years of repairs.
The initiation of operations for JT-60SA was inaugurated on December 1, 2023 by the EU’s Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Masahito Moriyama in a formal ceremony. Though the upgraded reactor still isn't anywhere near to being a practical power generator, it will be used to overcome many outstanding problems as well as testing materials and procedures that will be needed for commercial stations.
For 75 years we've been told that fusion power was only 25 years away and billions of dollars have been spent to make it practical. However, since successful fusion power would provide humanity with unlimited clean power forever, a little patience might be in order.
The video below shows the upgrade of the JT-60SA.
Alcaraz vs. Van de Zandschulp 2024 livestream: Watch US Open for free2024-09-22 05:10
“城”熟梦想 一座城市的属性 文明 低碳 智慧2024-09-22 05:05
TikTok announces STEM feed in celebration of Pi Day2024-09-22 05:01
UNSC holds closed2024-09-22 04:27
Top 10 Most Significant Nvidia GPUs of All Time2024-09-22 04:22
Pavlov the Corgi graduates from UCLA2024-09-22 03:49
服务大众 建设一流专科2024-09-22 03:49
A woman is writing poignant poems to strangers based on their Twitter DMs2024-09-22 03:34
The AI stock bubble has burst. Here's how we know.2024-09-22 03:32
Spotify is pivoting to video with new TikTok2024-09-22 03:19
Bernie Sanders’ DNC speech sounded like everyone else’s. That’s astonishing.2024-09-22 05:16
'Harry Potter' fan says J.K. Rowling blocked her after she criticised Johnny Depp2024-09-22 05:10
我市第二届群众广场舞大赛结束三支队伍参加全省复赛2024-09-22 04:52
Top US crypto bank Silvergate has gone into liquidation2024-09-22 04:26
Bernie Sanders’ DNC speech sounded like everyone else’s. That’s astonishing.2024-09-22 04:20
We're getting a 'Jersey Shore' reunion to find out just how much America will endure2024-09-22 03:52
Burger King unleashes Flamin' Hot Mac n' Cheetos2024-09-22 03:32
Dua Lipa graced us with new rules to get through the holiday season2024-09-22 03:06
The Astounding World of Automata2024-09-22 03:04
Online scammers stole more than $10 billion in 2022 thanks to cryptocurrency2024-09-22 02:56