Most of the methods we currently use to produce power have significant disadvantages such as pollution or limited availability. Reliable fusion power can theoretically change that. By harnessing the power of the sun, we can produce more power than ever before. The problem, however, is that fusion power generation does not work yet. A team from South Korea has just made great strides – the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device recently ran for 20 seconds. It may not sound impressive, but it doubles the previous record.
The sun and other stars produce energy through nuclear fusion – the process of sticking two hydrogen atoms (and later heavier atoms) together yields enormous energy, and the by-products are completely safe, unlike the remnants of nuclear fission and combustion. However, fusion only occurs at extremely high temperatures and pressures. It is not a self-sustaining chain reaction like splitting.
KSTAR is one of the most advanced Tokamak-style reactors in the world. These devices use powerful magnetic fields to form superheated plasma in a torus (ring) shape. Currently, our ability to sustain artificial fusion reactions in this way is extremely limited. The best experimental reactors like KSTAR can keep superheated plasma active for only a few seconds. However, the number of seconds eventually increases.
KSTAR recently held fusion plasma at 180 million degrees Fahrenheit for 20 seconds. The previous record of this device was only eight seconds in 2019, and the world record before this experiment was only 10 seconds at 100 million degrees or higher. The longer plasma remains active in the reactor, the more likely the atoms will fuse together and produce usable amounts of energy. This is the goal, but current fusion reactors like KSTAR consume more power than they produce. The record holder in the arena is the Joint European Torus (JET), which can deliver 16 MW of power from 24 MW of input power.
The team says an improved performance for the Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) was the key to this most recent improvement. An ITB reduces the movement of ions within the plasma, leading to improved plasma closure and stability. Thus, the KSTAR reactor could shatter the previous record.
We are far from making fusion a viable source of energy. For now, the KSTAR team hopes to continue the stability of the reactor and eventually work continuously for up to 300 seconds by 2025.
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