First time success in generating “plasma” necessary for nuclear fusion reaction : Experimental equipment in Ibaraki (2/2)

 

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

核融合反応に必要な“プラズマ”生成に初成功 茨城の実験装置 (2/2)

2023年10月24日 20時00分

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“プラズマ”とは

「プラズマ」は物質が数千度から数億度といった非常に高い温度まで加熱され、物質を構成する原子が原子核と電子に分かれて自由に飛び回っている状態です。

物質は温度が上がるにつれて固体から液体、液体から気体へと変化しますが、さらに気体から変化した状態が「プラズマ」で、「第4の状態」とも言われ、地球上でもいなづまやオーロラといった形で見ることができます。

「プラズマ」の状態では、原子核が秒速1000キロという超高速で動くことができ、そのスピードで原子核どうしがぶつかることで核融合反応が起きて大きなエネルギーが発生します。

1グラムの燃料から発生するエネルギーは、およそ8トンの石油を燃やしたときと同じだけの熱に相当します。

この核融合反応を連続させてエネルギーを取り出すには、1億度以上の超高温のプラズマを長い時間維持することが必要になるため、超高温の状態に耐えられる材料などの開発が進められています。

核融合 各国で開発競争が過熱

核融合は世界では1950年代から研究が始まりましたが、技術的な課題が多く、実現の目標時期は先延ばしを繰り返してきました。

しかし、ここ数年、アメリカを中心にベンチャー企業に巨額の投資が行われて開発が進められているほか、中国では国の研究機関が「プラズマ」を長時間閉じ込める実験に成功したと発表するなど、各国で開発競争が過熱しています。

こうした中、日本政府は、アメリカや中国を含む35の国と地域による大型国際プロジェクト「ITER計画」に参加しているほか、「JTー60SA」を活用したEUとの共同開発を進めています。

ことし4月には関連産業の振興を図る初めての政府戦略を策定していて、2050年ごろに国内での核融合発電の実現を目指すとしています。

専門家「まず動き出したことが大きな一歩」

核融合に関する文部科学省の審議会で委員を務める大阪大学大学院の上田良夫教授は「世界最大の装置であり、それだけ大きな成果を期待されているので、まず動き出したことが大きな一歩だ。日本の研究開発にとって非常に重要な研究のプラットホームが稼働し、よかったというのが率直な気持ちだ」と話しています。

そのうえで「中国、韓国だけでなく、アメリカやヨーロッパなどで研究が活発化して成果も出始めていて、日本だけが取り残されているという意識もあったが、本格的な実験の開始でやっと肩を並べられるか、将来的にそれを超える成果も期待できる。『これから日本も巻き返しに出るぞ』と、日本の研究者コミュニティーに大きな力を与える一歩にもなるのではないか」と話していました。

Translation

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What was “plasma”?

"Plasma" was a state in which matter would be heated to extremely high temperatures, ranging from several thousand degrees to hundreds of millions of degrees, and the atoms that made up that matter were separated into nuclei and electrons that flied around freely.

As the temperature rose, matter would change from solid to liquid, and from liquid to gas. The state that further changed from gas is the plasma which was also called the "fourth state," and on Earth it could also be seen in the form of lightning and aurora.

In the plasma state, atomic nuclei could move at extremely high speeds of 1,000 kilometers per second, and when the atomic nuclei collided with each other at that speed, a fusion reaction occurs and a large amount of energy would be generated.

One gram of fuel produced the same amount of energy as burning approximately 8 tons of oil.

In order to continue this nuclear fusion reaction and to extract energy, it was necessary to maintain ultra-high temperature plasma of over 100 million degrees Celsius for a long time, so the development of materials that could withstand ultra-high temperatures was progressing.

Nuclear fusion development competition heated up in various countries

Research into nuclear fusion began around the world in the 1950s, but due to many technical challenges, the target date for its realization had been repeatedly postponed.

However, in recent years, development had been progressing with huge investments being made in venture companies mainly in the United States. In China, a national research institute had announced that it has succeeded in an experiment to confine "plasma" for a long time.  Development competition was heating up in every country.

Among them, the Japanese government was participating in the ITER project, a large-scale international project involving 35 countries and regions including the United States and China, and a joint development with the EU that used "JT-60SA" was proceeding.

In April of this year, the first government strategy to promote related industries was formulated, with the goal of realizing domestic fusion power production by around 2050.

Expert: “Getting started is a big step.”

Professor Yoshio Ueda (上田良夫)of Osaka University Graduate School who was a member of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's council on nuclear fusion said, ``This is the world's largest device, and it is expected to produce great results, so it is a big step for Japan to get started. I honestly feel glad that a research platform that is extremely important for research and development is now operational."

On top of that he added, ``Research is becoming more active not only in China and South Korea, but also in the United States and Europe, and results are starting to appear, and there is a feeling that Japan is the only country left behind, will we finally be able to match them once we start full-scale experiments? We can expect even greater results in the future. As “From now on, Japan will make a comeback'', this could be a step that will give great power to the Japanese research community.

              So, if everything goes well, Japan’s goal in realizing domestic fusion power generation by around 2050 could be achieved. I am wondering how this new energy source will affect the oil industry and the coal industry globally eventually.