[Site] I announced that the plasma discharge experiment of China Circulator No. 2 M Device (HL-2M) is now starting.
[Explanation] On the afternoon of December 4th, a new generation of "artificial sun" device-China Circulator No. 2 M device was completed in Chengdu, Sichuan and realized its first discharge, marking China's independent mastery of the design and construction of large advanced tokamak devices , Operation technology, laying a solid foundation for the independent design and construction of China's nuclear fusion reactor.
[Explanation] It is understood that the China Circulator No. 2 M device project was approved by the China National Atomic Energy Agency in 2009 and was constructed by the Southwest Institute of Physics of China National Nuclear Corporation. It is currently the largest advanced tokamak device in China with the highest parameters. .
The device is intended to bring almost unlimited clean energy to mankind through controlled thermonuclear fusion, commonly known as the "artificial sun".
[Concurrent] Xu Min, Director of Fusion Science, Southwest Institute of Physics, China National Nuclear Corporation
The way the "artificial sun" device generates energy is very similar to the way the sun generates energy, both of which are nuclear fusion reactions.
Usually when the device is in operation, when the M device (China Circulator No. 2) is in operation, the temperature of its core can reach more than 150 million degrees, while the temperature of the solar core is about 15 million to 20 million degrees.
From its high temperature and the way it generates energy, it is very similar to the sun, which is why it is called an "artificial sun" scientific experiment device.
[Explanation] Xu Min introduced that China's nuclear energy development implements a three-step strategy of "thermal reactors-fast reactors-fusion reactors", in which fusion energy is the final step to solve the energy problem.
The development of nuclear fusion energy is not only a way to solve China's energy strategic needs, but also has great strategic significance for the sustainable development of China's future energy and national economy.
[Concurrent] Xu Min, Director of Fusion Science, Southwest Institute of Physics, China National Nuclear Corporation
The nuclear power we use now is nuclear fission, and nuclear power plants are all nuclear fission. The next generation of nuclear energy we are currently studying is nuclear fusion.
One liter of sea water contains 30 milligrams of deuterium. If the 30 milligrams of deuterium fully undergoes nuclear fusion reaction to generate energy, it is approximately equivalent to 300 liters of gasoline (energy released).
After the nuclear fusion reactor is built in the future, the fundamental problem of human survival, which is the energy problem, can be solved once and for all.
The Circulator No. 2 M device is used for nuclear fusion scientific experiments. This device provides a very important scientific experiment platform for our next core-level nuclear fusion scientific experiment research.
[Explanation] Yang Qingwei, chief engineer of the China Circulator No. 2 M device project, introduced that the plasma volume of the device is more than twice that of the existing device in China, and its plasma current capacity has been increased from 1 megaampere of the existing device in China to 2.5 megaampere the above.
[Concurrent] Yang Qingwei, Chief Engineer of China Circulator No. 2 M Device Project
The discharge of our device for the first time today means that our engineering design and construction work has been basically completed.
Then came the research on the physics of the device, that is, the physical experiment.
The completion of this device, the current level of parameters in the world belongs to the first echelon, probably (in) the operating device, ranking the world's second level, the highest overall parameter level in the country.
[Explanation] It is understood that the National Atomic Energy Agency of China is currently studying the layout of an integrated nuclear fusion research and innovation system, creating a national-level nuclear fusion innovation research platform, a platform for exchanges between domestic and foreign experts and scholars, and a growth platform for young scientists to comprehensively promote the development of China’s nuclear fusion industry. And ran to the leader.
Chen Xuanbin and Liu Zhongjun report from Chengdu
Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]