Imagining a world with clean and inexhaustible energy is no longer just science fiction. France has achieved a unique milestone to maintain a plasma reaction in minutes.
An unprecedented advance. On February 12 in France, the West reactor of the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energies (CEA) has managed to maintain a plasma For more than 22 minutes (1,337 seconds), thus beating the previous record of plasma duration reached with a tokamak. This represented an improvement of 25% with respect to the previous record time achieved with EAST, in China, which reached 1,066 seconds (17 minutes) a few weeks before. In addition, the plasma reached a temperature of 50 million degrees Celsius.
In depth. This achievement has shown that magnetic confinement technology is moving forward, allowing reactors to sustain the extreme conditions necessary for nuclear fusion for longer periods. The longer the plasma is controlled, the closer we will be generating fusion energy continuously, reliable and commercially viable.
To achieve that time and control plasma, the Eurofusion consortium scientists They have applied a combination of strategies, such as temperatures between 100 and 150 million ° C, 2MW injection of thermal power and the use of superconductive coils and cooled components. In addition, the materials were protected, minimizing erosion and contamination of the internal components of the reactor.
Why nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion It is considered the “Holy Grail” of energy because it does not produce long -term radioactive waste, unlike nuclear fission. Besides, Use less resourcesIt has a practically inexhaustible fuel and could generate clean and stable energy without carbon emissions. Magnetic confinement technology in Tokamaks is the most advanced today and is considered the most viable path to obtain merger energy.
A global effort. The study of nuclear fusion and seeking its stability is being given in different parts of the world. Starting with ITERthe experimental reactor that an international consortium led by Europe is building in the French town of Cadarache. On the same continent a little higher in Germany and in France themselves are exploring other alternatives such as type reactors Stellarator. Out of the European Union, in the United Kingdom, the JET It was for years the referent in generation of fusion energy, closed in 2023 after providing key data for the development of the future Iter.
In Asia, in Japan, the JT-60SA It is a joint project with Europe that seeks to optimize plasma stability. In China, the reactor East It has broken temperature and duration records of the plasma, approaching necessary conditions for commercial fusion. For its part, KstarIn South Korea, he has managed to keep plasma at extreme temperatures for prolonged periods.
Forecasts West’s record has shown that magnetic confinement technology in Tokamaks could approach The possibility of building viable commercial reactors. In addition, this progress has shown that the knowledge of the plasmas and the technological control of them for longer periods is maturing and offers the hope that merger plasmas can stabilize for longer periods in machines such as The iter.
Image | CEA