'Korean artificial sun' could solve energy problems in one fell swoop

The KSTAR (Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) fusion reactor has set a new nuclear fusion record. This produced temperatures seven times hotter than the Sun's core. The reactor is already being called the “Korean artificial sun.”

Breakthrough in Korea: A nuclear fusion reactor could solve many of our energy problems in one fell swoop

Nuclear fusion could solve many of our energy problems in one fell swoop. It promises an almost inexhaustible source of clean energy. Using a fusion reactor, an attempt was made to mimic the processes that occur in the core of the Sun. There, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium nuclei, releasing a lot of energy.

Scientists have been trying to recreate such an artificial sun for decades. Now the KSTAR team in Dagon, South Korea has achieved a new milestone, as announced in the research institute's press release.

Tungsten transformers as switches

The biggest challenge to nuclear fusion is stabilizing the plasma using magnetic fields. KSTAR has shown that it can trap plasma, an extremely hot gas cloud, for longer than ever before. In total, the temperature of one hundred million degrees in the fusion reactor remained stable for 48 seconds. This exceeded the previous record by 30 seconds.

The key to KSTAR's recent success is the introduction of tungsten transformers. Thus, the new components can handle extreme temperatures better than their carbon predecessors. Scientists' goal is to keep the burning plasma stable for more than 300 seconds by 2026.

Source: Korea Fusion Energy Institute

Written by Veronique Fritsch