In a groundbreaking achievement, France’s WEST tokamak has successfully sustained a plasma for a record-breaking duration of 1,337 seconds. This remarkable feat surpasses the previous world record of 1,066 seconds set by China’s EAST facility, marking a 25% improvement and a significant stride towards a new era of nuclear power.
The Record-Breaking 1,337 Seconds
On February 12, the WEST tokamak achieved an extraordinary milestone by maintaining a plasma for over 22 minutes, reaching temperatures of 50 million degrees Celsius. This surpasses the temperature at the center of the sun, showcasing the immense potential of nuclear fusion technology.
The Three ‘Golden Conditions’ of Nuclear Fusion
Prolonged operation time is one of the three essential conditions for achieving nuclear fusion. The fuel used in fusion reactors, deuterium and tritium, when heated to temperatures exceeding 50 million degrees Celsius, produces plasma. The WEST reactor employs magnetic confinement techniques to effectively prevent the plasma from escaping.
The WEST Research Facility
Located at the CEA Cadarache site in southern France, WEST is a research facility dedicated to exploring sustainable fusion energy. The experiment demonstrated that the plasma reached extreme temperatures while the components remained stable, proving that special materials can withstand prolonged exposure to harsh conditions.
Future Plans
The WEST team is committed to achieving even longer plasma discharge times and increasing the plasma temperature over the coming months, gradually moving closer to the ideal conditions for fusion plasma.
以下是 the content formatted for WordPress:
In a significant leap forward, the WEST tokamak in France has achieved a world-record plasma duration of 1,337 seconds. This accomplishment, a 25% increase over China’s EAST facility’s 1,066-second record, heralds a promising step toward a new nuclear power era.
The Record-Breaking 1,337 Seconds
The WEST tokamak successfully sustained a plasma for more than 22 minutes, reaching scorching temperatures of 50 million degrees Celsius on February 12. This achievement not only surpasses the temperature at the sun’s core but also highlights the vast potential of nuclear fusion technology.
The Three ‘Golden Conditions’ of Nuclear Fusion
Extended runtime is critical among the three ‘golden conditions’ for nuclear fusion. Reactors like WEST use deuterium and tritium as fuel, which, when heated to extreme temperatures, produce plasma. WEST uses magnetic confinement to stabilize the plasma effectively.
The WEST Research Facility
Situated at the CEA Cadarache in southern France, WEST is at the forefront of sustainable fusion energy research. The recent experiment confirmed that the plasma can maintain extreme temperatures while keeping the components stable, a testament to the resilience of special materials under harsh conditions.
Future Plans
The WEST team is aiming to extend plasma discharge times further and increase plasma temperatures in the coming months, edging closer to the perfect conditions required for fusion plasma.
The achievements of both WEST and EAST lay a solid foundation for the advancement of nuclear fusion technology, promising a future where clean energy becomes widely accessible.
