Chinese Fusion Experiment Reaches 100 Million Degrees

Universe Today ^ | 11/18/2018

[BenLurkin]

Currently, the two most popular methods for producing fusion power are the inertial confinement approach, and the tokamak reactor. In the former case, lasers are used to fuse pellets of deuterium (H², or “heavy hydrogen”) to create a fusion reaction. In the latter, the process involves a torus-shaped confinement chamber that uses magnetic fields and an internal current to confine high-energy plasma.

Whereas other tokamak reactors rely on magnetic coils to keep a plasma torus stable, the Chinese EAST reactor relies on the magnetic fields produced by the moving plasma itself to keep the torus in check. This makes it less stable, but allows physicists to increase heat levels.

EAST science team was able to integrate four types of heating power in order to reach a new temperature record. These included lower hybrid wave heating, electron cyclotron wave heating, ion cyclotron resonance heating and neutral beam ion heating. Through these combined methods, the plasma current density profile was optimized.

Once the science team managed to optimize the coupling of the four different heating techniques, they were able to create a cloud of charged particles that contained electrons heated to more than 100 million °C. They also exceeded a power injection level of 10 MegaWatts (MW), and boosted the plasma stored energy to 300 kilojoules (kJ).

…

With this latest experiment, the EAST team not only doubled the temperature of the plasma torus (setting a new record), they also managed to resolve a number of issues that are crucial to achieving steady state operations. For instance, they resolved the confinement of particle and power exhaust, the timing of which has to be just right in order to maintain a sustained fusion reaction.

[blackdog]

Just like Matt Damon grew potatoes on Mars, Kenue Reeves figured out that whole containment issue of fusion reactors. Really. We all saw it.

[Centurion2000]

That video said that if you heated 1 table spoon (or was it a gram?) of matter to 10,000,000 degrees and sustained it, it would kill everyone in a 1000 miles.

You were watching fearmongering doom porn.
You could have a bloody tablespoon of pure antimatter at 10 million degrees and it wouldn't kill everyone within 1000 miles.

What it would do is EXPLODE like a strategic nuclear warhead on an MX missile.

[Centurion2000]

What will be the possible consequences of China getting commercially viable nuclear fusion before we do?

They get about a 1-2 year head start on everyone else making fusion reactors.
They also get bragging rights for freeing the human race from energy dependence on fossil fuels. Quite a coup, but that's it.

[samtheman]

Kind of what I expected. Unless they try to enforce some kind of patent restrictions and lock the rest of us out.