On May 28, after almost 10 thousand experiments, EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) broke the world record with a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees centigrade for 101 seconds. In addition, EAST recorded a plasma temperature of 160 million degrees centigrade for 20 seconds.

EAST achieves a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees centigrade for 101 seconds. [IMAGE: ASIPP]

It is of great significance to study the multi-scale interaction physics and electron heat transport under low collision rate and low momentum, and to find an effective heating path for fuel ions while maintaining self-sustaining combustion of plasma for magnetic confinement fusion. The 100-million-degree operation mode in EAST is an excellent platform for the study of multi-scale interaction physics and electron heat transport under low collision rate and low momentum.

In June 2020, EAST was comprehensively improved when its diverter upgrading was completed. A series of technical problems, such as steady-state high-power heating, completely non-inductive high-current drive, high-precision plasma real-time control, and interaction between high thermal load plasma and shield materials, were solved during the physical experiments. This world record — achieving a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees centigrade for 101 seconds, increased by five times the 100 million degrees 20 seconds achieved in EAST last year.

Nuclear fusion energy has the outstanding advantages of abundant resources, no carbon emission, cleanliness and safety, and will be one of the ideal clean energies for mankind in the future. It can make an important contribution to the realization of carbon neutrality. The two major difficulties in realizing nuclear fusion power generation are realizing multi-billion-degree ignition and stable long-term confinement control. It is particularly difficult to maintain plasma of hundreds of millions of degrees for long periods of time; this requires the interaction of a hundred-million-degree plasma with a superconducting magnet of minus 269 degrees, and a high thermal load plasma with the shield material, dynamic precision control and other extreme conditions highly integrated at the same time in an organic combination, which is very challenging.

Continuous steady-state operation under the condition of 100-million-degree high temperature plasma is a necessary condition for fusion power generation in the future. This world record is the verification of a series of key technologies that were first operated in EAST and must be adopted in future fusion reactors, such as an all-metal active water cooling first wall, a high-performance tungsten divertor, steady-state high-power wave heating and precision control of plasma configuration.

EAST is currently the world’s only magnetic confinement fusion experimental device with a heating mode and partial filter structure similar to that of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), and is the only experimental facility that can fully demonstrate and verify the future 400-second scientific research of ITER in the 100-second scale. The series of innovative research results and technological accumulation on EAST also provide a solid scientific and technological foundation for China’s construction of a fusion engineering experimental reactor. 

For more information, please contact:

Professor Gong Xianzu

E-mail: xz_gong@ipp.ac.cn

Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences

Source: Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP),

Chinese Academy of Sciences