From Lab to Limitless: Japan’s Fusion Breakthrough Paves the Way for a Carbon-Free Energy Era
Japan Sets New Fusion Record
A large-scale fusion experiment has reached a major milestone, bringing us a little closer to a limitless clean energy future.
Fusion is the process by which two atoms fuse into one. This releases an incredible amount of energy as heat. In fact, this is enough heat to power the sun and other stars. In order to fuse the hydrogen atoms, they must be exposed to extreme pressure and temperatures in excess of 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius), and the ultra-hot plasma must be controlled to sustain the reaction. Japan’s JT-60SA is currently the largest tokamak in the world to reach “first plasma.
Japan’s large-scale fusion experiment has reached a major milestone and may bring us a little closer to a future of unlimited clean energy.
Fusion 101 Fusion is the process by which two atoms merge into one (in contrast to conventional nuclear power, which relies on fission to split an atom in two). In fact, the heat is enough to power the sun and other stars.
If we could harness the heat from fusion on Earth, we could generate electricity on demand without worrying about carbon dioxide emissions, nuclear waste, or running out of fuel.
In fusion, two atoms fuse into one, releasing enormous amounts of energy.
Fusing hydrogen atoms requires exposing them to extreme pressure and temperatures of more than 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius), and the ultra-hot plasma must be controlled to sustain the reaction.
Scientists have recently succeeded in generating slightly more energy from fusion than was put into it, but there are so many hurdles to developing a commercial fusion reactor that it will probably take decades to overcome.
What’s new? A Japanese fusion research device could play a pivotal role in the development of future reactors.
This device, called JT-60SA, is a tokamak, a hollow donut-shaped device surrounded by magnetic coils. This device is one of the best ways we have found to confine ultra-high temperature plasma so that fusion can occur (the stellarator is another example).
JT-60SA is currently the largest tokamak in the world to reach first plasma.
The Japan Quantum Science and Technology Agency (JST) announced on October 23 that it has achieved a “first plasma” in JT-60SA. This means the first successful generation and confinement of ultra-high temperature plasma, a milestone in tokamak development.
The scaffold, JT-60SA, is 52 feet tall and is the largest tokamak in the world to produce plasma for the first time.
JT-60SA is being built to support the ITER tokamak, which is under construction and is twice as tall. When that tokamak achieves its first plasma (currently scheduled for December 2025), it will be the largest fusion device ever built.
Although fusion projects rarely go as planned, it is hoped that ITER will finally prove the feasibility of commercial fusion power generation and will be the device that ushers in a new era of clean energy.
Source: From Lab to Limitless: Japan’s Fusion Breakthrough Paves the Way for a Carbon-Free Energy Era
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