fusion

The Granada particle accelerator is born today. Thanks to him Spain has the key to nuclear fusion

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Today is a crucial day for IFMIF-DONES (International Fusion materials irradicion facility demo-eraned neutron source). This very important scientific project is closely linked to ITER (International Thermonuclear Experctor reactor), The experimental reactor of nuclear fusion that An international consortium led by Europe He is building in the French town of Cadarache. Ifmif-Dones, however, resides in listening to, a town in the province of Granada. The construction works of this last installation began in mid -September 2022, but today it is a very important day for both Granada and all of Spain. And it is because the Council of Ministers will approve today the investment of almost 200 million euros required by the start of the construction of the IFMIF-DONES linear particle accelerator. This machine is the authentic heart of this scientific installation, and, therefore, the ingenuity that will place Spain in The nuclear fusion map. The tuning of this linear particle accelerator will cost approximately 450 million euros, although the Andalusian Board will contribute half of this money. However, this is the cost of the accelerator; The IFMIF-Dones project will completely cost about 700 million euros. Spain will contribute half of this capital. To this figure we must add another 50 million to carry out its implementation. In addition, the operation of this avant -garde research center will have an annual cost of about 60 million euros, of which Spain will assume 10%. It may seem a lot of money, but we must not forget that those responsible for the project are convinced that The economic and scientific return Ifmif-Dones will far exceed your cost. What is Ifmif-Dones and why it is crucial for the future of nuclear fusion Ifmif-Dones is one of the three fundamental pillars of the nuclear fusion building in whose construction the European Union is involved. The other two are iter and demo. The experimental nuclear fusion reactor that is currently being built in the French town of Cadarache seeks to demonstrate that the merger at the scale that man can handle works, and also that it is profitable from an energy point of view. However, Iter does not aspire to produce electricity. That will be demo’s task (Demonstration Power Plant), an installation that will take the technological advances that will have shown to function correctly in Iter and take them one step further to establish themselves as The authentic precursor of commercial nuclear fusion reactors. However, without Ifmif-Dones there will be no demo, so Granada is now the center of attention. The fusion of a deuterium core and another tritium triggers the production of a helium core and a neutron that is fired with an energy of about 14 MEV To understand in all its extension what is the role of the IFMIF-DONES project, it is necessary that we briefly review the foundations of nuclear fusion. One of the biggest challenges facing the technicians who are involved in the tuning of nuclear fusion reactors by means of magnetic confinement, such as Iter, consists of recreating inside the vacuum chamber of these sophisticated machines the necessary conditions so that the deuterium and tritium nuclei are merged. However, this is not everything. When this reaction takes place the fusion of a deuterium nucleus and another of tritium triggers the production of a helium core and a neutron that is fired with An energy of about 14 MEV (Megaelectronvolts). The problem is that the neutron lacks net electric charge, so it cannot be confined inside the magnetic field that, however, does retain the deuterium and tritium nuclei, which have positive electric charge. This is the reason why when it originates as a result of the nuclear fusion reaction, this neutron is fired towards the walls of the vacuum chamber with enormous energy. This particle is very important because in practice it will be closely linked to the production of electrical energy in nuclear fusion reactors, but, at the same time, it represents a very aggressive form of radiation that can significantly degrade the materials used in the reactor. The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the internal wall of the vacuum chamber and the Blanketthat it is a mantle that covers it and that has as its purpose Regenerate the tritium that it is necessary to use as fuel in the nuclear fusion reaction. This is the reason why it is crucial to develop new materials that are able to support the flow of neutrons and guarantee, therefore, that the reactor will have a prolonged operational life. IFMIF-DONES linear accelerator will produce high energy neutrons with the intensity and volume of irradiation necessary to test candidate materials This is, neither more nor less, the purpose of Ifmif-Dones. And to carry it out it is necessary to put ready -to -set facilities to allow the technicians involved in the project to evaluate the properties of candidate materials to intervene not only in demo, but also in future commercial nuclear fusion commercial reactors. The task of this project invites us to intuit what the heart of Ifmif-Dones is: a source capable of producing high energy neutrons with the intensity and volume of irradiation necessary for Test candidate materials. And this source of neutrons will be nothing other than a linear particle accelerator that will help IFMIF-DONES scientists to try, validate and qualify the materials that in the medium term should reach future electric power production plants through fusion. Image | IFMIF-DONES In Xataka | Iter has faced one of the great challenges of nuclear fusion: prevent plasma from 150 million ºC to destroy the reactor

China intimidates in nuclear fusion. The construction of its own iter advances at full speed

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The way to a destiny as challenging as the nuclear fusion Commercial must necessarily be full of small conquests. Of achievements that may seem modest, but that, in reality, are milestones that place us a little closer to an ambitious goal that does not pursue anything other than help us solve our energy needs without continuing to emit greenhouse gases. In this context Iter monopolizes much of attention. And it is understandable that it is so. After all, it is a project with a huge wingspan, which is also led by the European Union. In fact, this organization is assuming together approximately 50% of the total cost of a plan in which the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea also participate. However, the commitment of public origin for nuclear fusion is not condensed only in Iter. And it is not limited only to the European Union. Not much less. Europe is pointing Very important scientific milestonesbut there are other countries that are also being very high, and that, precisely, do not move in the orbit of the West. In fact, two of them, probably the most outstanding, are China and South Korea. The Chinese experimental reactor CFETR is extraordinarily promising China that, as we have seen, actively participates in Iter’s tuning, has been engaged in the development of an experimental nuclear fusion reactor for several years at least as ambitious as the latter. It’s called CFETR (Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor), A denomination that we can translate as a test reactor for Chinese fusion engineering. The engineers of the country led by Xi Jinping completed their conceptual design in 2015 taking as a starting point the Chinese fusion reactors East, HL-2a (M) and J-Text. The experts of the commission that certifies nuclear facilities have approved the first section of the vacuum chamber CFETR has much in common with Iter. In fact, it aspires to complement the machine that is being built in the French town of Cadarache, and, at the same time, it is nourished by the knowledge generated during the design and development of Iter. Anyway The construction of the CFETR reactor It is already underway. And advances at a very good pace. In fact, just two days ago the experts of the Chinese commission that certifies the nuclear facilities gave the final approval to the first section of the reactor vacuum chamber. This is the gigantic component that we can see in the cover photography of this article. The CFETR reactor vacuum chamber will consist of seven other sections such as this, will have a height of 20 meters and will be made of stainless steel of very low carbon content. Inside, fusion reactions between the deuterium and tritium nuclei will occur that will be magnetically confined in a plasma that will exceed 100 million degrees Celsius. The most interesting thing is that this machine will operate in two phases. During the first of them, he will prove that he is able to generate up to 200 MW of energy, as well as sustain a tritium production ratio greater than 1. This simply means that will produce more tritio than consumeso he will be able to self -abuse from this radioactive hydrogen isotope. During the second phase of operation, the CFETR reactor will pursue more than 1 GW of power, so it will become a demonstration machine that, if everything goes well, will be happened by the first commercial fusion energy plants. Image | Xinhua News More information | China Science In Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the Smart reactor invites us to optimism

Germany gets serious with nuclear fusion. His energy model shouts that this ‘Stellarator’ reactor works

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The experimental reactors of nuclear fusion of type Stellarator They represent a very solid alternative to Tokamakas ITER either JET. And they are not precisely the result of a recent investigation. In fact, both designs were designed During the 50s of the last century. He Stellarator It was designed by the American physicist Lyman Spitzer and exercised as the foundations on which the Plasma Physics Laboratory of Princeton University (USA) was built. The design TokamakHowever, it was devised by Soviet physicists igor Yevguénievich Tamm and Andréi DMítrievich Sájarov from the ideas proposed a few years before by his colleague Oleg Lavrentiev. Both reactors were conceived with the purpose of confine Stellarator He received great support from the scientific community in the West due to its enormous potential. However, when Soviet and American scientists published their results and compared them, they realized that Tokamak design performance It was one or two orders of magnitude better than that of Stellarator. From that moment on, this last design was largely marginalized. The most obvious difference between one and the other lies in its geometry, but it is enough to investigate both to realize that the reactors Stellarator They still have a lot to say. Proxima Fusion has put a date to its demonstration fusion plant Type reactors Tokamak They have a toroid form (or donut), and Stellarator They have a more complex geometry that resembles them to a twisted donut on itself. However, the fundamental difference between these two designs is that the reactors Tokamak They require that the magnetic fields that confine plasma be generated by coils and induced by plasma itself, while in the reactors Stellarator Everything is done with coils. There is no current within the plasma. This means, in short, that the latter are more complex and difficult to build. In February 2023, the Wendelstein 7-X reactor managed In Europe we have a type fusion reactor Stellarator extraordinarily promising: el Wendelstein 7-X. It is installed in one of the buildings that the Max Planck Institute has for Plasma Physics in Greifswald (Germany), and its construction concluded in 2015. The first tests carried out in this fusion reactor between 2015 and 2018 came out as planned, so in November of this last year An important moment arrived in his itinerary: It was necessary to modify it to install a water cooling system that was able to evacuate more effectively the residual thermal energy of the vacuum chamber walls, as well as a system that allowed the plasma to reach a higher temperature. The works that required these modifications concluded successfully in August 2022. And in February 2023 the Wendelstein 7-X reactor reached an important milestone: it managed to confine and stabilize the plasma for 8 uninterrupted minutes in which it delivered a total energy of 1.3 gigajultos. During the last two years everything learned in the development and the first tests carried out in this machine has been used by the German emerging company Proxima Fusion. In fact, its founders come from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. His work is being financed by Germany, the European Union, and also by several private entities of venture capital. And it’s going very well. In fact, fusion physicists and engineers have published a scientific article in Fusion Engineering and Design which has already been reviewed by pairs and in which they detail the design of Stellaris, its reactor prototype Stellarator commercial. Your next step requires Build a demonstration power plant From its design that should be ready in 2031. Yes, in just six years. I hope you get it. If Alpha, which is what this test power plant will be called, the commercial fusion energy will be a reality before the next decade is completed. This is the authentic purpose of next fusion. Image | Proxima Fusion More information | Fusion Engineering and Design In Xataka | In France, an alternative to Iter in Nuclear Fusion is being cooking: a commercial ‘Stellarator’ reactor

It is a critical milestone to get to nuclear fusion

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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 Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the Smart reactor invites us to optimism

The fusion of illegal races and Kaizen philosophy

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The search for continuous improvement. Evolve to be better with small changes that go, very little by little, perfecting the product by touching the sick. These are the Kaizen philosophy bases. The name, in fact, perfectly represents what tries to explain. It cannot be more explicit since it uses the Japanese terms kai (change) and zen (good). Along the way, it is about applying a series of strategies to eliminate the most inefficient processes, correct errors as soon as possible by applying immediate solutions or promote collective participation. But there are two other pillars that define perfectly what we are going to talk about next. Kaizen philosophy tries to optimize times and resources while having an open mind to apply small changes that make the product evolve and take it to a new stadium. The latter was key when one of Toyota’s most mythical cars was born: the supra. We would not have Toyota supra without celica … and without Kaizen philosophy When he talks about Kaizen philosophy, in Toyota they have a lot to say. In fact, it is your way of explaining What is a Takumi And why they have figures in charge of simply feeling cars to discover small irregularities to correct during the production process. It is that idea of ​​combining small changes, very small, that when adding and one takes distance to see the complete result, it realizes that it has created a completely disruptive product. It is, in fact, what happened with the Toyota supra. To understand the origin of the Toyota Supra we have to look back. Specifically half a century to go to the 70s. Then, Toyota began to manufacture the Toyota Celica. It was 1970 and the new Japanese sportsman was born from the base of the Toyota Carina to which the possibility of being able to choose between a 1.4 or 1.6 liter engine and two types of gearboxes (manual or automatic) was added. The car was born as a Coupé 2+2 To enjoy relaxed, combining good performance but without sacrificing the comfort comfort. Very soon the car had a redesign that accentuated the Coupé forms, leaving a single door to each side and a huge back gate that facilitated access to the trunk and its load. The reception was so good that Toyota gave continuity to Celica just a little later. In 1977 a second generation already had on the market that already opted for the three -door body and that, again, was defined by the Carina platform. And aware of the car’s sports potential, in 1979 the word supra appears for the first time. The supra was a special finish for the Toyota Celica. It was called, in fact, Toyota Celica supra (MKI). He lengthened the body a bit and added some most expensive finishes such as the four disc brakes or independent suspensions. But, above all, he added a six online cylinders and 2.6 liters delivered 110 hp. That power jump and that engine were those that marked the future of their future. Taking advantage of the second generation of Toyota Celica, in 1982 the Toyota Celica supra would be launched in its second generation. The forms were now much more sharp and design decisions were included that would later be fully identifying, such as the sneakable headlights. The six -cylinder engine was maintained but the power rose to 145 hp. Although he added more centimeters along, the battle was shorter than that of his predecessor. Now, yes, he earned agility and, therefore, in sports sensations. The car had taken a qualitative leap in this regard. The qualitative success was received with open arms. Japanese industry in the 80s flew. American intervention after World War II helped the nation to be a country razed to One of the most leading countries of the world technologically. Potential clients earned so much money that everything accelerated and the Japanese car lived among product generations of just four years. Currently, a car has a commercial life of about seven years but at that time it was about putting a car on the market in less than a five years. Young people were looking for fast and powerful cars in which spend money. The bubble also provided cash for a fashion that took strength in the 80s, the Touge Street Racing. He Touge Street Racing or tōge They were illegal races that took advantage of the large mountain roads of the country to ascend or desce continued in the 90s. This is what we can see in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift but that became popular to the point of become its own culture, Anime included and with space in numerous racing video games. The perfect ingredients had entered the cocktailboard for Toyota to hurry the deadlines and in 1986 he launched the first completely independent version of the Toyota Supra. He returned for his fueros, with a six online cylinders that, this time, reached 200 hp of power. Later he would raise this power to 230 hp adding a turbo. The car was very fast but growing in size and power had begun to take forms of great tourism, a car with which to travel could be very quick but not as dynamic as you once. The solution went through giving it a little more spicy. How much? Transform it into a supercar. In 1990, Honda had launched the Honda NSXa car with which he intended to rival the best and at the same time positioning a car of very high benefits Without all those young people who had the money for punishment. Toyota’s response came in 1993 with Toyota Supra A80its most remembered generation. The Toyota Supra left its angular shapes behind and opted for the curves, with a huge rear axle and a spoiler that falls in love. Under the hood he kept a six online 3.0 -liter cylinders that in its biuturbo version reached 324 hp and that delighted the trainers. Because the car became a … Read more

China is advancing at breakneck speed in nuclear fusion. It already has something ready that until now only the Netherlands had

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The path to a destination as challenging as it is nuclear fusion commercial must necessarily be full of small conquests. Of achievements that may seem modest, but that, in reality, are milestones that put us a little closer of an ambitious objective that seeks nothing more than to help us solve our energy needs without continuing to emit greenhouse gases. In this context ITER attracts much of the attention. And it is understandable that this is so. After all, it is a project of enormous magnitude, which is also led by the European Union. In fact, this organization is jointly assuming approximately 50% of the total cost of a plan in which the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea also participate. However, the public commitment to nuclear fusion is not condensed solely into ITER. And it is not limited only to the European Union either. Not at all. Europe is signing up very important scientific milestonesbut there are other countries that are also bidding very high, and that, precisely, do not move in the orbit of the West. In fact, two of them, probably the most advantaged, are China and South Korea. China has a very sophisticated linear plasma generator to advance fusion In the field of nuclear fusion, plasma is the extremely hot gas that contains the nuclei of deuterium and tritium, the two isotopes of hydrogen, which are involved in the reaction. For these nuclei to overcome their natural electrical repulsion and the strong nuclear interaction to fuse them, they must acquire a very high kinetic energy. And this is only possible if the plasma reaches a temperature equal to or greater than 150 million degrees Celsius. As we can guess, very few known materials are capable of withstanding such a high temperature. However, this is not all. When a deuterium nucleus fuses with a tritium nucleus, they produce a helium nucleus and a neutron that is ejected with an energy of about 14 MeV (megaelectronvolts). The problem is that the neutron lacks a net electrical charge, so it cannot be confined inside the magnetic field which, however, does manage to retain the deuterium and tritium nuclei, which have a positive electrical charge. The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the mantle. This is the reason why when it originates as a result of the nuclear fusion reaction, this neutron is ejected towards the walls of the vacuum chamber with enormous energy. This particle is very important because in practice it will be closely linked to the production of electrical energy in nuclear fusion reactors, but, at the same time, it represents a very aggressive form of radiation that can significantly degrade the materials used in the reactor. . The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the blanketwhich is a mantle that covers it and whose purpose is regenerate tritium which is necessary to use as fuel in the nuclear fusion reaction. This is why it is crucial to develop new materials that are able to withstand the neutron flux and therefore ensure that the reactor will have a long operational life. Until now, only the Netherlands had a device capable of generating a high-flow plasma similar to what occurs in the vacuum chamber of a nuclear fusion reactor. But now China has it too. The Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences has successfully built a highly advanced linear plasma generator capable of accurately recreating the extreme conditions found inside fusion reactors. Its purpose is to use it to test candidate materials to be used in vacuum chamber constructionfor which it is essential to subject them to the interaction of plasma. Fortunately, China has confirmed that this machine will be available for international collaboration. Image | Hefei Institutes of Physical Science More information | Hefei Institutes of Physical Science In Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the SMART reactor invites us to optimism

La Perla arrives in LA with its vibrant rhythmic, feminine and combative fusion

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It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. In recent weeks, we have announced the different avant-garde cumbiera groups that have been visiting Southern California, which seems to indicate the existence of a renewal movement that is not limited to a single Latin American country. And although Son Rompe Pera -who performed at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach after passing through Coachella-, Black Rooster Sound -which was presented at the same Alex’s on December 31- and Karen and The Remedies -which was at the Lodge Room on January 18- came to our shores representing Mexico City, what is coming from the same musical side tips the balance towards the original territory of the genre, that is, the Colombian nation. The most immediate corresponds to the show that will be offered on March 9 at The Echo (1822 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026), and which will be headed by La Perla, a Bogota combo made up of Karen Forero, Giovanna Mogollón and Diana Sanmiguel who, despite respecting traditions, has chosen to combine them with modern contributions that reflect her own identity. Placing themselves within the topic of “new Colombian music,” the members of the combo claim to have been in contact for a long period of time with the teachers of the school they practice through the informal folklore meetings that take place in their city, and which are usually called “wheels”. After winning the prize for the amateur category at the National Bagpipe Festival that takes place on the Colombian coast thanks to the interpretation of classical pieces, and having thus become the second all-female band to triumph in the prestigious contest, Forero , Mogollon and Sanmiguel began to create their own songs, maintaining the percussion format (using drums and seeds) and adding elements of hip-hop and beatboxing. The preparation was long, but finally, in 2022, after publishing several singles, they managed to release their first album, “Callejera”, which also includes contributions from merengue and champeta, and which, unlike cuts of rural origin, cater to urban themes that, in many cases, are connected to social interests worthy of consideration. Another photo of the band. (Maria Alejandra Villamizar) That is the case of “Bruja”, which achieved notoriety after being included in the Netflix original series “Siempre Bruja” (“Always a Witch”), and which seems to speak of the unfair persecution suffered by women who have decided challenge conventional norms; from “El Sol”, which is dedicated to the farmers who are experiencing hardships in our countries, and from “La Selva”, which demands the respect that the Amazon deserves. It is, in the end, a proposal that is as vibrant on the rhythmic and vocal level as it is combative on the level of messages, and that you will be able to appreciate live if you attend the aforementioned concert by The Echo, where the three Bogota natives will share the stage with Susobrino, an electronic artist and DJ of Bolivian descent who appeals to the sounds of his ancestors in order to generate a unique style. The next visit to the coffee country that is going down similar paths is that of Los Piranas, the celebrated instrumental supergroup made up of Eblis Alvarez (from Meridian Brothers), Mario Galeano (from Frente Cumbiero and Ondatrópica) and Pedro Ojeda (from Romperayo and Sidestepper). This presentation will take place on April 11 at The Lodge Room (104 N Ave 56, 2nd floor, Los Angeles, CA 90042), and there will be an opportunity to talk about it in more detail.

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