China is one of the countries that is eager to develop nuclear fusion. This technology, which is often referred to as the artificial sun, is predicted to provide almost unlimited energy sources and minimal waste.
In fact, this project is not a substitute for natural Sun. However, this technology has the same amount of heat as the real sun. The project, located in Southwest Sichuan Province, China, successfully lit up for the first time in December 2020.
The following are facts about Matahari made in China, summarized by us from various sources, Thursday (9/6/2022):
1. Naming the artificial sun
The project is called an artificial sun because it works the same way as the sun and stars, which uses hydrogen fusion to create heat. In this way, the energy created is claimed to be cleaner and safer than ordinary nuclear reactors. The official name of this project is Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST).
2. It is 10 times as hot as the sun's core
China's artificial sun works from the results of nuclear reactions using magnets combined with hot plasma. As a result, the temperature created can reach 15 million degrees Celsius or 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun.
3. How it works
The EAST reactor works by combining two hydrogen nuclei. When these chemical elements combine, they create tremendous heat energy. This process is known as nuclear fusion, which is different from ordinary nuclear reactors which apply fission (fission) of atomic nuclei.
Scientists believe the extremely hot temperatures are just the minimum required if they intend to create a self-sustaining nuclear reactor. In other words, there is still the next step that the team of scientists must do to realize the cutting-edge energy source they want.
China used a superconducting magnetic support structure weighing 20 tons assembled in France to realize this project. The biggest challenge for the EAST reactor is to maintain the tremendous heat for a long time to create a practical energy source.
4. Cooperation of various countries
The EAST artificial sun is a major project involving scientists from 35 countries aiming for a new energy source using nuclear fusion.
To be able to realize this project, China cooperates with a number of countries including the United States, European Union, Russia, Japan, India, and South Korea. Nuclear fusion, which can be harnessed using low energy methods, allows the creation of unlimited clean energy.
If successful, China will be able to provide substantial assistance to the development of a similar facility in France called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). This experiment is also taking place with the help of a world consortium with the European Union, the US, Russia, and even China as members. They hope to make a breakthrough in the second half of the century.
5. Operate 2050
The plan is for Matahari made in China to be completed around 2035, with a peak power output of up to 2 gigawatts. The project development team targets that the artificial Sun can be used commercially by 2050.