China Makes Breakthrough in Artificial Sun Research, limitless energy from nuclear fusion made poss

[zectech]

Spin the plasma, I believe clockwise IIRC, and see what happens.

Counter clockwise

 

[cirr]

'Artificial sun' paves way for unlimited clean energy

2019-04-26 17:32:44 CGTN Editor : Gu Liping

The current "artificial sun" device at the Southwestern Institute of Physics in southwest China's Chengdu city, Sichuan Province. The Institute is on the way to complete an upgraded one by the end of 2019./CGTN Photo

Humanity could have unlimited clean energy by the mid of this century when an "artificial sun", a device designed to mimic the nuclear fusion process the real sun uses to generate energy, is expected to be used commercially.

Researchers at China's Southwestern Institute of Physics, the country's oldest and largest research center for nuclear fusion technology, are optimistic that this could probably first happen in China.

The Institute is on the way to complete building a crucial upgraded “artificial sun” by the end of this year, which will be one of the most advanced such devices in the world, and will bring humanity a step closer to ultimately solving its energy problems.

What's an "artificial sun"?

Simply speaking, it's a controlled nuclear fusion reactor, through which people are able to control the process of the fusion reaction, so as to use the heat released to generate electricity.

In a fusion reaction, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy.

However, it requires very difficult conditions, among which an extremely high temperature is a prerequisite.

At that temperature, the fuels for nuclear fusion, usually hydrogen isotopes such as deuterium and tritium, will exist in the state of plasma, which is composed of electrons and ions.

Fusion reactions will only start when the temperature of the ions reaches 100 million degrees Celcius, while current devices in China can only reach an ion temperature of 50 million degrees Celcius.

But the new "artificial sun", named HL-2M, will achieve that for the first time in China, Dr. Wulyu Zhong, a research fellow at Southwestern Institute of Physics, told CGTN.

“Judging from several key performance parameters, HL-2M will be the most advanced in China, and also one of the leading devices worldwide, comparable to those in the U.S. and Europe,” he said.

Why is fusion power highly anticipated?

Firstly, the fuels for nuclear fusion are abundant in nature. Deuterium can be extracted from seawater, and tritium can be produced in the fusion reaction itself.

In a complete fusion reaction, the deuterium extracted from one liter of seawater will release energy equivalent to that of 300 liters of gasoline.

What's more, a fusion reactor would produce no greenhouse gas or other pollutants, and little nuclear waste.

It's also much safer compared with the current fission nuclear power reactors, as the reaction will stop immediately once the required conditions are cut out.

Therefore, scientists worldwide are working to make the controlled fusion reaction take place in a more practical and economical way.

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a major project initiated in 1987, involves scientists from 35 countries and aims at the commercial use of the new energy.

China has undertaken nine percent of the research tasks in the project, and is now at the forefront in terms of research level, with a series of internationally advanced research outcomes, according to Zhong.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2019-04-26/detail-ifzhtktn3337836.shtml

 

[LeGenD]

One aspect of cities imagined in the Star Wars lore might become a reality?

Amazing.

 

[Verve]

The hope is that eventually a reactor can be built where the fusion reaction is self-sustaining, and the reactor generates more energy than it consumes.

Over-unity!

But hey, Science books say that it's not possible. Chinese are warped and don't know jack about science as over-unity is a hoax @war&peace

 

[war&peace]

Over-unity!

But hey, Science books say that it's not possible. Chinese are warped and don't know jack about science as over-unity is a hoax @war&peace

It is possible to reach these temperatures and tokamaks have been doing this consistently in the lab and create both cold & hot plasmas but the real challenge is to sustain it. So it is interesting development but still a far cry from actual useable reactor.

 

[Verve]

It is possible to reach these temperatures and tokamaks have been doing this consistently in the lab and create both cold & hot plasmas but the real challenge is so sustain it. So it is interesting development but still a far cry from actual useable reactor.

But the question remains, are the Chinese stupid to attempt achieving over-unity as the law is set in stone by the dead Western scientists?

 

[war&peace]

But the question remains, are the Chinese stupid to attempt achieving over-unity as the law is set in stone by the dead Western scientists?

What is over-unity?

 

[Verve]

What is over-unity?

LOL - ok.

Over-unity is when output energy is higher than input energy.

As per the dead Western scientists and their 'laws', this is not possible. Weren't you taught this in school/uni?

 

[war&peace]

LOL - ok.

Over-unity is when output energy is higher than input energy.

As per the dead Western scientists and their 'laws', this is not possible. Weren't you taught this in school/uni?

That's thermodynamic law, but E = m*c^2 does not violate the law because the mass and energy are transformable.

 

[Verve]

That's thermodynamic law, but E = m*c^2 does not violate the law because the mass and energy are transformable.

Transformation is what we see day in day out. Powerhouse generator to AC has minimum 3 transformations of energy.

Question is on higher output than input. 1 unit of energy in will never equate to 1+ units of energy out (irrespective of transformation, and transformation has losses, not increases - as per science taught).

In this Chinese research they are clearly aiming for more energy out than in. Nothing to do with transformation.

 

[war&peace]

Transformation is what we see day in day out. Powerhouse generator to AC has minimum 3 transformations of energy.

Question is on higher output than input. 1 unit of energy in will never equate to 1+ units of energy out (irrespective of transformation, and transformation has losses, not increases - as per science taught).

In this Chinese research they are clearly aiming for more energy out than in. Nothing to do with transformation.

No, it is more like the fission reactors , you input nuclear fuel and get energy in the form of heat which is converted into electricity. Same will happen here but instead of U or Pu, it will use hydrogen.