China takes the global lead in fusion research
In setting new records of temperature and running time in its own tokamak fusion experiment, China now leads the U.S. in the field of developing the technology for generating practical fusion energy.
[The U.S.] ITER’s target temperature is 150 million °C (270 million °F). China’s EAST facility, which is a key contributor to the ITER project, has hit this mark already, reaching 160 million °C (288 million °F) for 20 seconds, and holding 120 million °C (216 million °F) for 101 seconds in separate experiments announced last May.
The latest experiment tested the Chinese tokamak’s capability to endure extreme temperatures over longer periods, sustaining a temperature 2.6 times hotter than the Sun’s core for some 1,056 seconds, or 17 minutes and 36 seconds. Nobody’s ever sustained a high-temperature plasma for 1,000 seconds before, so this is an important milestone.
The development of this capability continues China’s effort to lead the world in all areas of research, led I think by the many high government officials in positions of great power after cutting their teeth as managers for China’s space effort. These individuals understand how to build big technology projects at the cutting edge of science, and are likely pushing for more such research in all fields, such as the experiments in fusion energy above.
As big government projects, however, the long term future of such work is very risky. Government projects like this might start out great, which describes China’s status today, but they always end up corrupt and hidebound, as seen in the Soviet Union and at NASA in the U.S.
Nonetheless, this success highlights China’s aggressive effort to lead the world in all things. We would be foolish to ignore this.
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In setting new records of temperature and running time in its own tokamak fusion experiment, China now leads the U.S. in the field of developing the technology for generating practical fusion energy.
[The U.S.] ITER’s target temperature is 150 million °C (270 million °F). China’s EAST facility, which is a key contributor to the ITER project, has hit this mark already, reaching 160 million °C (288 million °F) for 20 seconds, and holding 120 million °C (216 million °F) for 101 seconds in separate experiments announced last May.
The latest experiment tested the Chinese tokamak’s capability to endure extreme temperatures over longer periods, sustaining a temperature 2.6 times hotter than the Sun’s core for some 1,056 seconds, or 17 minutes and 36 seconds. Nobody’s ever sustained a high-temperature plasma for 1,000 seconds before, so this is an important milestone.
The development of this capability continues China’s effort to lead the world in all areas of research, led I think by the many high government officials in positions of great power after cutting their teeth as managers for China’s space effort. These individuals understand how to build big technology projects at the cutting edge of science, and are likely pushing for more such research in all fields, such as the experiments in fusion energy above.
As big government projects, however, the long term future of such work is very risky. Government projects like this might start out great, which describes China’s status today, but they always end up corrupt and hidebound, as seen in the Soviet Union and at NASA in the U.S.
Nonetheless, this success highlights China’s aggressive effort to lead the world in all things. We would be foolish to ignore this.
I must unfortunately ask you for your financial support because I do not depend on ads and rely entirely on the generosity of readers to keep Behind the Black running. You can either make a one time donation for whatever amount you wish, or you sign up for a monthly subscription ranging from $2 to $15 through Paypal or $3 to $50 through Patreon.
Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Your support is even more essential to me because I not only keep this site free from advertisements, I do not use the corrupt social media companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook to promote my work. I depend wholly on the direct support of my readers.
You can provide that support to Behind The Black with a contribution via Patreon or PayPal. To use Patreon, go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation. For PayPal click one of the following buttons:
If Patreon or Paypal don't work for you, you can support Behind The Black directly by sending your donation by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman, to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
Or you can donate by using Zelle through your bank. You will need to give my name and email address (found at the bottom of the "About" page). The best part of this electronic option is that no fees will be deducted! What you donate will be what I receive.
I think you are over reacting. Plasma temperature is far from the only criterion for a working nuclear fusion reactor. Recently, an experiment here in the United States was able to get more fusion energy than the laser energy incident on the target. But even that is very far from a working reactor. That would require more energy out than the energy required to produce the laser beam. Here is Sabine HossenFelder taking a sober review of the prospect of working nuclear fusion reactors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ4W1g-6JiY
On the other hand, fission reactors are very practical and China, India South Korea and even Japan ae taking the lead on them because of the greens’ in the United States and Europe implacable opposition to nuclear power.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/12/28/shift-to-nuclear-brightens-asian-energy-future/
Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, 10,000°F cannot hold 270,000,000°F furnace.
The magnetic bottle that they claim will contain the reaction is “superconducting magnets” inches away, operated at super cold temperatures…
If a small flame on your pilot light can generate enough power to keep your gas on, could you just imagine the world record amount of power which will flow in this circumstance? (thermal pile effect)
Nuclear fission is well-established technology proven by hydrogen bombs… It is very difficult to control a reaction so that it does not run away and go boom!
Meanwhile, small nuclear reactors have been advertised frequently lately as the replacement in old coal fired plants that have been decommissioned. The next big thing renewable energy that actually works.
https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-power-reactors/small-nuclear-power-reactors.aspx
One was licensed for use two years ago, and customers are lining up throughout the world ready to purchase from this company.
https://www.nuscalepower.com/
More information.
https://www.energy.gov/ne/advanced-small-modular-reactors-smrs
Any technology China needs, we will give it to them… We even released the spies that were stealing technology from universities. This administration even apologized before their unconditional release.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_transfer
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
The UN agreement to share our technology…. And giveaway nearly everything our country has worked for.
Fusion might make for a good star drive. Phys.org reported a coherenu interstellar magnetic field-giving fusion magnetcraft a way to make turns perhaps?
I think there is something in a dark corner of a dark closet called The Skunk Works that might argue against any Chinese “leadership”. I am not willing at all to dismiss this effort.
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/compact-fusion.html
This outlines the progress so far.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_Compact_Fusion_Reactor
I have no idea if the T-5 actually went online as projected here,
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29074/skunk-works-exotic-fusion-reactor-program-moves-forward-with-larger-more-powerful-design
This seems to be more “up to date”. But the emphasis that it won’t fit on “a” truck is just silly. So it might take four to haul the components around. It’s still portable
Lockheed is planning a licensed production run. Before we talk about Chinese leadership. Maybe we should look a little closer to home.
Call me when it puts out a mega watt more then it takes to run.
I love the idea but the power output is what we need to get off of fossil fuels and solar power forever.
Plus this is the only form of power we could use to travel interstellar.