{"id":14393,"date":"2024-02-09T10:51:44","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T10:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1403760"},"modified":"2024-02-09T10:51:44","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T10:51:44","slug":"nuclear-fusion-world-record-a-promising-step-toward-limitless-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14393","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear fusion world record a promising step toward limitless energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span>In its last hurrah before being shut down, a 40-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/nuclear-fusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fusion<\/a> reactor in the UK set a new world record for energy output \u2014 bringing the decades-old promise of clean, limitless energy one step closer to reality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Scientists at the Joint European Torus (JET) \u2014 a huge, donut-shaped machine known as a tokamak \u2014 produced a record 69 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds, surpassing the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/75496422-be4b-48e9-b445-d987813a126f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>previous record<\/span><\/a><span> of 59 megajoules set in 2021. <\/span><span>This equates to a power output of 12.5 megawatts, enough<\/span><span> to power around 12,000 households.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The UK\u2019s nuclear minister <\/span><span>Andrew Bowie called the<\/span><span> latest breakthrough a \u201cfitting swansong\u201d for JET, which <\/span><span>concluded its scientific operations at the end of December 2023.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"New Fusion Energy Record Pulse from JET DTE3 campaign - Pulse #104522\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcdoc=\"\n\n<style>*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}<\/style>\n<p><a href='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hQVzroA9qsE?feature=oembed&amp;autoplay=1&amp;mute=1&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;theme=light&amp;playsinline=1'><img src='https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/hQVzroA9qsE\/hqdefault.jpg'><img src='https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/themes\/cyberdelia\/assets\/img\/ytplaybtn.png' style='top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)'><img src='https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/themes\/cyberdelia\/assets\/img\/ytplaybtn-hover.png' style='top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;opacity:0;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)'><\/a>&#8221; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>Over 300 scientists and engineers from EUROfusion, a consortium of researchers across Europe, contributed to the landmark experiments at the former nuclear fusion test site in Oxford<\/span><span>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\" readability=\"8.5\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\" readability=\"12\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Professor Ambrogio Fasoli, programme manager at EUROfusion, sai<\/span><span>d the new energy record \u201cinstills greater confidence\u201d in future fusion machines like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/worlds-largest-fusion-project-is-in-big-trouble-new-documents-reveal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>ITER<\/span><\/a><span>, a \u20ac22bn fusion reactor currently under construction in France.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cBeyond setting a new record, we achieved things we\u2019ve never done before and deepened our understanding of fusion physics,\u201d said the Italian physicist.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The experiment was attained using just <\/span><span>0.2 milligrams of deuterium-tritium fuel. The tokamak takes these hydrogen isotopes and heats them to temperatures hotter than the Sun so that their nuclei fuse together, releasing huge amounts of <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">energy<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When running, the machine reached temperatures of 150 million\u00b0C \u2014 temporarily making it the hottest point in our solar system.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why is JET being shutdown?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span>In 1958 when US WWII research on fusion was declassified it sent Russia, UK, Europe, Japan, and the US on a race to develop fusion for energy production.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Brits and the Europeans decided to team up and thus, JET was born. <\/span><span>The reactor was first commissioned in 1983 and set its first fusion energy record in 1997.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>JET <\/span><span>remained the world\u2019s most advanced experimental fusion reactor ever made before it was shut down. Its experiments were critical to the development of ITER and other <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/world-nuclear.org\/information-library\/current-and-future-generation\/plans-for-new-reactors-worldwide.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>planned fusion devices<\/span><\/a><span>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The UK and EUROfusion announced that they would close JET this year back in 2016, with the hope that ITER would already be up and running.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1403763 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1.jpg\" alt width=\"1500\" height=\"1178\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-267x210.jpg 267w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-172x135.jpg 172w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-344x270.jpg 344w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-796x625.jpg 796w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/nuclear-fusion-world-record#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F02%2F09%2Fnuclear-fusion-world-record%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Joint European Torus (JET) magnetic fusion experiment in 1991. At the heart of this jumble of machinery is a doughnut-shaped vessel where numerous world records for fusion energy production have been set. Credit: EFDA JET\/Wikimedia Commons&nbsp;\" data-title=\"Share The Joint European Torus (JET) magnetic fusion experiment in 1991. At the heart of this jumble of machinery is a doughnut-shaped vessel where numerous world records for fusion energy production have been set. Credit: EFDA JET\/Wikimedia Commons&nbsp; on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Joint European Torus (JET) magnetic fusion experiment in 1991. At the heart of this jumble of machinery is a doughnut-shaped vessel where numerous world records for fusion energy production have been set. Credit: EFDA JET\/Wikimedia Commons&nbsp; on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The Joint European Torus (JET) magnetic fusion experiment in 1991. At the heart of this jumble of machinery is a doughnut-shaped vessel where numerous world records for fusion energy production have been set. Credit: <span class=\"mw-mmv-author\">EFDA JET\/Wikimedia Commons<\/span><span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1403763\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1.jpg\" alt width=\"1500\" height=\"1178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-267x210.jpg 267w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-172x135.jpg 172w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-344x270.jpg 344w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/The_JET_magnetic_fusion_experiment_in_1991-1-796x625.jpg 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cITER has always been seen as the successor of JET,\u201d said Emilia Solano, a fusion researcher at the Madrid-based National Fusion Laboratory of Spain. \u201cBut now we are facing a huge gap in time between the two fusion experiments. We need to bridge that gap.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>ITER is only set to start <\/span><span>deuterium-tritium reactions<\/span><span> in <\/span><span>2035 \u2014 although it has already been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/worlds-largest-fusion-project-is-in-big-trouble-new-documents-reveal\/#:~:text=By%20the%20time%20of%20the,to%20introduce%20even%20more%20delays.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>delayed<\/span><\/a><span> several times. <\/span><span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Solano is the leader of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/physicsworld.com\/a\/petition-calls-on-uk-to-save-jet-fusion-experiment-from-closure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>petition<\/span><\/a><span> launched in October 2023 against the closure of JET. <\/span><span>The 750 petition signatories believe the decommissioning is \u201ca serious scientific blow\u201d that will have a \u201cnegative impact\u201d on the worldwide fusion community.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There are political motivations at play, too. In the wake of Brexit, the UK left the European Atomic Energy Community, which funded JET. While the two regions still worked together until this year, the UK has made it clear it is pursuing its own, separate fusion<span> interests <\/span>from now.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Late last year, <\/span><span>the UK government <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/qanda_23_4373\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>confirmed<\/span><\/a><span> it would not play a role in the ITER megaproject, of which many countries including <\/span><span>the EU, Russia, the US and China are part<\/span><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn line with the preferences of the UK fusion sector, the UK has decided to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy instead of associating with the EU\u2019s Euratom programme,\u201d the government said.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The UK is currently developing the&nbsp;Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project, a \u00a32bn grid-connected fusion <a href=\"https:\/\/step.ukaea.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reactor<\/a> that aims to produce more electricity than it uses.<\/p>\n<p><span>The shutdown of JET is in many ways symbolic of the breakdown in relations between the UK and European science and technology communities post-Brexit. And yet, the work that has already been done could prove critical in paving the way to viable fusion energy production going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Can fusion deliver?&nbsp;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span>The JET milestone is a big one, but scientists are still a long way off from making fusion energy commercially viable. The experiment in December consumed far more energy than it produced, and the reaction was only sustained for five seconds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While a team at the US National Ignition Facility famously managed to create a fusion reaction that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-023-04045-8#:~:text=In%20December%202022%2C%20after%20more,a%20phenomenon%20known%20as%20ignition.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>produced more energy<\/span><\/a><span> than it used \u2014 a process known as \u201cignition\u201d \u2014&nbsp; their machine was largely designed for nuclear warhead experiments, not the kind of fusion energy we would need to power cities and homes.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Many other challenges remain, such as developing the right materials to withstand the superheated conditions found in a reactor, keeping the plasma more stable, and sustaining the reaction for sufficient periods of time to generate reliable power.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1403764 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"the ITER fusion plant computer-generated image\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1090\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-280x186.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-406x270.jpg 406w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-796x529.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-1592x1058.jpg 1592w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/nuclear-fusion-world-record#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fdeep-tech%2F2024%2F02%2F09%2Fnuclear-fusion-world-record%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The ITER tokamak fusion reactor will be the largest of its kind ever built and twice the size of JET. Credit: ITER\" data-title=\"Share The ITER tokamak fusion reactor will be the largest of its kind ever built and twice the size of JET. Credit: ITER on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The ITER tokamak fusion reactor will be the largest of its kind ever built and twice the size of JET. Credit: ITER on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The ITER tokamak fusion reactor will be the largest of its kind ever built and twice the size of JET. Credit: ITER<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1403764 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"the ITER fusion plant computer-generated image\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-280x186.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-406x270.jpg 406w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-796x529.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/02\/usiter_fusion-copy-2-1592x1058.jpg 1592w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>The same day <\/span><span>as the JET milestone, the EU\u2019s climate service announced that global warming had exceeded 1.5\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels across an entire year for the first time. This means<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-68110310\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span> we have already failed to meet the Paris Agreement<\/span><\/a><span>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the prospect of abundant, clean, limitless fusion energy sounds like a quickfix to the climate crisis, it may be too little too late. Aneeqa Khan from the University of Manchester <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/20240205181149\/https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2414681-nuclear-fusion-reaction-releases-almost-twice-the-energy-put-in\/#selection-1059.0-1065.407\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>warns<\/span><\/a><span> against interpreting progress in fusion research as a possible solution to the energy transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe are already facing the devastation from climate change on a global scale,\u201d she told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/20240205181149\/https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2414681-nuclear-fusion-reaction-releases-almost-twice-the-energy-put-in\/#selection-1059.0-1065.407\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>New Scientist<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cIn the short term, we need to use existing low-carbon technologies such as fission and renewables, while investing in fusion for the long term, to be part of a diverse low-carbon energy mix.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/nuclear-fusion-world-record\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In its last hurrah before being shut down, a 40-year-old fusion reactor in the UK set a new world record for energy output \u2014 bringing the decades-old promise of clean, limitless energy&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14393"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}