Spectators and critics were shocked when news broke out that China’s “Artificial Sun” has set a new world record. The EAST Fusion Facility, which is located in Hefei, was able to run the tokamak reactor at 120 million °C for a record time of 101 seconds. If you think that this is not impressive, you should know that it is three times hotter than the REAL sun. Li Mao, the current Director of Physics at the Southern University of Sci-Tech, said that this breakthrough is significant, but the final goal would be for the reactor to have the ability to keep the temperature stable for a longer period.

Xinhua | China has taken the crown now, but South Korea held the previous record of 50 million °C

So, What Is the Fusion Reactor and How Does It Work?

In layman’s terms, a fusion power plant or reactor is a device that creates electrical energy. This electrical power is generated from the energy that is released in the process of nuclear fission. So, to create a large amount of energy, the nucleus of an atom is split into smaller nuclei. This split releases high amounts of exothermic energy, which is then used to produce electrical power.

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China’s EAST

The HT-7U, or Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, is China’s custom-built fusion reactor that was able to pull off this fantastical feat. Operational since 2006, it has been able to reach fissions before. The device is usually spherical or donut-shaped, within which plasma swirls are found in a circle, kept in place with the help of super-cooled electromagnets.

The thing about fusion reactors is that they are high-maintenance and require a good amount of energy to be fueled, which has led to a lot of critics being skeptical about the entire idea. Nevertheless, the EAST being able to sustain 120 million °C for 101 seconds is definitely groundbreaking.

IPP | All the leading countries are in the process of getting their fusion reactors active

How Can It Change the Future?

Many countries continue investing in fusion reactors but, are they worth it? Many believe so. If fusion reactors can achieve their goal of maintaining high temperatures for a longer duration, it will single-handedly solve the energy problem in the world.

Oil, gas, and coal will no longer be required as a mode of energy. While it will greatly impact the world’s environment, it will also be able to create political stability if it is made mainstream. China’s successful experiment has shown the world that this vision of clean energy can turn into a reality.