Breakthroughs in scientific research on China's new generation of "artificial solar" devices

QingdaoNewsNet 

Source：Peninsula Metropolis Daily 2022-11-19 13:29:25

According to the Southwest Institute of Physics of the Nuclear Industry of China Nuclear Power Corporation, the scientific research of China's new generation of "artificial solar" device (HL-2M) has made breakthrough progress. On the afternoon of October 19, 2022, the plasma current of China's new generation of "artificial solar" device (HL-2M) exceeded 1 million amperes (1 megaampere), creating a new record for the operation of China's controllable nuclear fusion devices, marking an important step forward for China's nuclear fusion research and development from fusion ignition, It ranks first in the world, and its technical level is in the forefront of the world.

It is reported that the new generation of "artificial sun" device (HL-2M) independently designed and built by the Southwest Institute of Physics of the Nuclear Industry of CNNC Group was completed on December 4, 2020 and achieved its first discharge, which promoted China's basic research and original innovation to make important progress.

The plasma current intensity is the core parameter of the Tokamak nuclear fusion device. The plasma current reaching 1 million amperes (1 megaampere) is a necessary condition for its realization of fusion energy. In the future, the Tokamak fusion reactor must operate stably under megaampere current.

The plasma current capacity of China's new generation of "artificial solar" device (HL-2M) can reach more than 2.5 megaamperes, and the current operation has exceeded 1 megaampere, creating a new record for the operation of China's controllable nuclear fusion device. This new breakthrough means that the device can be routinely operated under the plasma current of more than 1 megaampere in the future, and it is of great significance for China to deeply participate in the international thermonuclear fusion reactor (ITER) experiment and independently design and operate the fusion reactor in the future.

Behind China's new generation of "artificial sun" device (HL-2M), there is a young team full of creativity and daring to fight hard. This team has won the "China Youth May 4th Medal Collective" in 2022. Under the extreme conditions of multiple difficulties this year, scientific researchers locked in the goal, worked together to tackle key problems, broke through the technical bottleneck, and contributed youth to the realization of the energy dream of building a beautiful China and lighting the blue ocean with wisdom.