scientists have successfully made major breakthroughs in nuclear fusion technology, and have set a milestone in harnessing the new energy tool known as the "artificial sun". The UK Atomic Energy Authority announced on February 9 that the Joint European Torus (JET) of the University of Oxford , the Joint European Torus (JET) of the University of Oxford , successfully generated 59 million joules (MJ) in the December 2021 experiment, which lasted for 5 seconds. The record for the last experiment was 22 million joules in 1997, and the figure for this experiment was more than twice the record in 1997.
The UK Institute of Atomic Energy said that experiments have proved that nuclear fusion technology can provide the potential of safe, efficient and sustainable low-carbon energy. Nuclear fusion is a type of nuclear energy reaction, but unlike conventional nuclear splitting reactions, nuclear fusion is the use of tiny elements to synthesize larger elements, just like the principle of the sun producing energy. Therefore, nuclear fusion is also called artificial solar technology.
At the same quality, nuclear fusion can generate 4 million times the energy of coal, oil and natural gas energy, while not producing waste gas. The reactor is much safer even if an accident occurs, there is no risk of melting the furnace core. The nuclear waste produced is easier to deal with and has less harm.
nuclear fusion in the experiment can last up to 5 seconds, but it will take longer to become a usable source of electricity. Tony Donne of the European Union for Fusion Energy Development (EUROfusion) said: If we can maintain nuclear fusion for 5 seconds and expand the scale of operations in the future, we can maintain 5 minutes, and then 5 hours.
is currently building an international thermonuclear fusion experimental reactor (ITER) in France, and will start to be put into experimental operations in 2025. ITER's reactor is larger and more advanced than the UK's, and the UK's experimental data will become an important basis.
