For decades, scientists have been devoted to developing nuclear fusion as a safe alternative to nuclear fission, with the goal of harnessing the sun's power and transforming energy production. This technology has the potential to render coal, gas, and other fossil fuels obsolete, significantly reducing the need for expansive solar and wind power areas. However, nuclear fusion is still in its early stages.
The Tokamak, one of the most common fusion reactors, employs a toroidal design and powerful magnetic fields to confine and heat plasma to extreme temperatures in a vacuum, replicating stellar conditions. This holds the promise of an almost limitless energy source, utilizing hydrogen isotopes like deuterium and tritium, which are abundant in seawater. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which focuses on Tokamaks, seeks to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of fusion energy as a clean, sustainable energy source.
A notable achievement in this field is the Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak (WEST), partially operated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). Collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), researchers at WEST sustained a plasma temperature of 122 million degrees Fahrenheit (°F) for six minutes, with 15 percent more energy and twice the density compared to the previous record.
Xavier Litaudon, a CEA scientist and chairman of the Coordination on International Challenges on Long duration Operation (CICLOP), emphasized the need for a continuous and reliable energy source. He praised PPPL's work at WEST as an excellent example of progress in this direction, despite the challenges posed by the tungsten wall.
Researchers at PPPL used a modified X-ray machine from DECTRIS to measure various properties of plasma radiation. Various types of fusion reactors, including Tokamaks, Stellarators, Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF), Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP), and Spherical Tokamaks, are being developed worldwide, all aiming for a sustainable and safe power supply.
WEST represents a step forward from the original Tore Supra, which used carbon instead of tungsten. While the tungsten wall presents challenges, such as increased plasma fuel retention, it signifies progress towards continuous Tokamak operation. Each new achievement brings researchers closer to their ultimate goal: 24-hour fusion, potentially establishing nuclear fusion as the energy source of the future.
Sources: Own Research; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; "Possible Types of the Fusion Reactor, Reactor Physics and Technical Problems in Its Development" (MPG.PuRe, 1971)