(ORDO NEWS) — Science portal Phys.org reports that China successfully launched its first HL-2M fusion reactor, better known as the “artificial sun.
The reactor, which is the largest in the country, will one day be able to generate electricity without the risk of nuclear meltdown – or the release of greenhouse gases – by fusing atoms rather than destroying them.
The tokamak (toroidal chamber with magnetic coils) HL-2M Celestial Empire began to build in 2019, promising to launch the reactor in 2020. The word was kept.
Technical problems HL-2M
According to the Chinese daily People‘s Daily, the HL-2M reactor must withstand temperatures that are ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, or about 150 million degrees Celsius.
“The development of thermonuclear energy is not only a way to address China’s strategic energy needs, but also an important element in the sustainable development of the country’s energy sphere and national economy,” the People’s Daily article said.
Now the HL-2M reactor is working properly, but it does not generate enough energy for thermonuclear fusion to proceed. However, the step taken by the Chinese brings closer the day when the result will still be achieved.
Future technology
It should be noted that China is not the only owner of a tokamak. Europe, Japan and the United States have similar experimental technologies, which are investing billions in the development of thermonuclear energy, considering this the most rational solution in the modern world.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.