Research is being carried out around the world into ways of generating clean energy. Chinese scientists have now made a breakthrough with an “artificial sun”.
Anhui – The population of the earth keeps growing. In order to meet people’s energy needs, researchers and engineers have to come up with more and more new ideas. At the same time, the generation of energy should be as clean as possible. After all, we only have one planet to inhabit.
Freiburg researchers are already testing trucks with photovoltaics on the roof, which can generate and “fill up” with solar power while driving (BW24* reported). Researchers in China are expanding this type of energy production to a much larger scale: the fusion reactor “East”, also known as the “artificial sun”, could soon be ready for series production – and supply the whole world with clean energy.
Hotter than the real sun: Reactor reaches 70 million degrees Celsius
The sun is the source of life on earth. It provides us with light and warmth. But the sun will also put an end to the blue planet. Researchers have calculated when the sun will destroy the earth*. However, there is still a long time to go before people will be able to use them as a source of energy. Chinese researchers are at the forefront in this field: The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (East ) is an experimental fusion reactor in the Chinese city of Anhui. Such nuclear fusion reactors are also known as “artificial sun” because they mimic nuclear fusions that take place on the sun.
And they could soon be supplying clean energy to mankind. The sun uses hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuel for nuclear fusion. These elements are also abundant on earth. Since fusion energy produces only a minimal amount of waste products, it is considered to be particularly clean. NASA scientists want to build a nuclear power plant on the moon*.
Researchers in China have now succeeded in imitating such an “artificial sun” using a power plant. They set a record: The “Sun” ran for more than 17 minutes. The research facility reached an unbelievable 70 million degrees Celsius in these 17 minutes – and was thus hotter than in any other previous test run. For comparison: the real sun reaches about 15 million degrees inside.
Despite the record: there is still a long way to go before the “artificial suns” are ready for series production
After this success, the researchers hope to be able to produce electricity from fusion reactors in about ten years. An optimistic goal. Because the commercial use of “artificial suns” still faces a number of hurdles. In order to be able to put the reactors into operation, systems are required that can permanently withstand more than 100 million degrees Celsius without suffering damage.
Because in another test in May 2021, the “artificial sun” in Anhui reached a whopping 120 million degrees Celsius. However, the reactor could only hold this temperature for 101 seconds.
Research on “artificial suns” is not only being carried out in China. The reactors are also being tested in the United States, Europe, Russia and South Korea. Researchers in the USA also made a breakthrough in nuclear fusion*. *BW24 is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
