First time success in generating “plasma” necessary for nuclear fusion reaction: Experimental equipment in Ibaraki (1/2)

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 (1/2)

2023年10月24日 20時00分

国立研究開発法人の量子科学技術研究開発機構は、茨城県にある世界最大規模の核融合の実験装置で、核融合反応を起こすために必要な「プラズマ」と呼ばれる状態を初めて作り出すことに成功したと発表しました。次世代のエネルギー源と期待される技術の実現に向け本格的な実験が始まることになります。

核融合は太陽の内部で起きている反応で、人工的に起こすことで膨大なエネルギーを取り出せるほか、二酸化炭素や高レベル放射性廃棄物を出さない次世代のエネルギー源として期待されています。

茨城県那珂市にある「JTー60SA」は、日本とEUが650億円余りの予算をかけて共同で建設した実験装置で、核融合反応を起こすために必要な高温高圧の「プラズマ」と呼ばれる状態をドーナツ型の空洞の中で作り出し、一定時間維持する技術の実証を目指しています。

初めて“プラズマ”状態を作り出すことに成功

運営する量子科学技術研究開発機構によりますと、ことし5月から本格的に稼働し、内部を真空に近づけて電気を流すなどした結果、23日午後5時半ごろ、初めて「プラズマ」の状態を作り出すことに成功したということです。

核融合反応を起こすには「プラズマ」の温度を1億度以上に上げて、原子核どうしを秒速1000キロというスピードで衝突させる必要がありますが、現時点で作り出せる「プラズマ」の温度は1000万度ほどだということです。

機構は今後、装置の改良を重ね、5年ほどで1億度の「プラズマ」を100秒間維持することを目指すとしています。

そのうえで、実験で得られた知見を日本やEUなどが参加する大型国際プロジェクト「ITER計画」や、日本政府が2050年ごろの実現を目指す核融合発電の実現に役立てたいとしています。

(to be continued)

Translation

The National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology as a national research and development agency had announced that, at the world's largest nuclear fusion experimental device located in Ibaraki Prefecture, it had succeeded for the first time in creating a state called "plasma" that was a prerequisite for fusion reactions to occur. Full-scale experiments would begin towards realizing the technology that was expected to be a next-generation energy source.

Nuclear fusion was a reaction that occurred inside the sun, and by creating it artificially, it was possible to extract a huge amount of energy, and it was expected to be a next-generation energy source that would not emit carbon dioxide or high-level radioactive waste.

JT-60SA, located in Naka City in Ibaraki Prefecture, was an experimental device jointly constructed by Japan and the EU with a budget of over 65 billion yen. It aimed to demonstrate a technology that created a so-called “plasma" state inside a donut-shaped cavity and maintained it for a certain period of time.

Succeeded in creating a “plasma” state for the first time

According to the Japan Institute for Quantum Science and Technology which operated this facility, it began full-scale operation in May this year, and because of making the interior close to a vacuum and with electricity passing through, it reached the state of "plasma" for the first time at around 5:30 p.m. on the 23^rd, meaning that it succeeded in creating a "plasma" state.

In order to cause a nuclear fusion reaction, while it was necessary to raise the temperature of the "plasma" to over 100 million degrees and cause the atomic nuclei to collide at a speed of 1000 kilometers per second, yet the temperature of "plasma" that could be created now was about 10 million degrees.

In the future, the organization would repeat making improvement to the device and aimed to maintain a 100 million degree "plasma" for 100 seconds in about five years.

In addition, it was hoped to make use of the knowledge gained from experiments in this ITER project which was a large-scale international joint effort participated by Japan, the EU, and others; and also the Japanese government hoped to use the technology to realize the generation nuclear fusion power with  the aim to achieve this by around 2050.

(to be continued)