Why in the NEWS?
- A world record for nuclear fusion has been smashed after an ‘artificial sun’ reactor was able to maintain a plasma for more than 22 minutes.
Key Points:
- The WEST reactor succeeded in maintaining plasma for more than 22 minutes.
- This historic achievement is a major advance in the field of nuclear fusion.
- Earlier, it was possible to keep the plasma stable for only a few minutes in this type of reactor.
- But the WEST reactor maintained it for twice the time, which has given new impetus to the efforts to make the fusion process a reality.
Why is fusion considered better?
- Cleanliness: Fusion produces less radioactive waste, while fission produces more waste. Fusion waste is less harmful and has a shorter life span.
- Safety: The fuel used for fusion (such as deuterium and tritium) is safe and has no adverse effect on the environment, while fission uses heavy atoms such as uranium, which can be harmful to the environment.
- Energy production: The energy produced by fusion is very high, and does not require any special radioactive elements. It also has a very low environmental impact.
Comparison with China’s EAST reactor:
- Earlier, China’s EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) reactor had maintained plasma for 20 minutes.
- The West reactor has set a new milestone by extending this record to 22 minutes.
- This progress is an important step for the development of nuclear fusion technology, allowing this technology to be used commercially in the future.
Future Challenge:
- However, there are still many challenges to commercially implement a nuclear fusion reactor.
- These include the construction cost of the reactor, collecting the energy generated, converting it into electricity, and connecting it to the national grid.
- Also, keeping the plasma stable at high temperature and pressure remains the biggest challenge.
- Controlling it for a sufficient time is a necessary condition for commercially implementing nuclear fusion.
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