Sci-Tech

Lighting the first "fusion lamp" in China

2022-05-20   

Energy shortage is an increasingly severe global challenge. Can we create an "artificial sun" on the earth to provide clean and stable energy for mankind? This problem has plagued generations of scientists all over the world. In order to realize the dream of "artificial sun", a sophisticated scientific research team with an average age of only 33 has written a new era chapter of serving the country with science and technology with youth and wisdom, which is known as the "planting sun" team. This team is the development team of "artificial sun" China circulator No. 2 m (HL-2M) device of Southwest Institute of physics of nuclear industry, which won the 26th "China Youth May 4th medal collective". "Artificial sun", a world cutting-edge scientific and technological field - controlled nuclear fusion. The use of nuclear energy mainly includes nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. We are familiar with nuclear fission. The energy source of the sun, which provides light and heat to the earth, is nuclear fusion reaction. Unlike nuclear fission, nuclear fusion does not produce nuclear waste or greenhouse gases. Raw materials can be extracted from seawater, which is clean and stable. In order to realize China's "fusion energy dream", the "plant the sun" team resolutely undertakes the construction of China's latest generation of advanced magnetic confinement nuclear fusion experimental research device with an indomitable attitude. How hard is it to "plant the sun"? Under the condition of manual control, the ion temperature of the plasma should reach more than 100 million degrees Celsius. To make a container, carry 100 million degrees Celsius plasma. The time above 100 million degrees Celsius should be maintained long enough to meet the needs of stable power generation. This magical operation is inseparable from the HL-2M device developed by the "seed sun" team. "As the latest generation of advanced magnetic confinement nuclear fusion experimental research device in China, HL-2M device is an important supporting device to realize the great leap forward development of nuclear fusion energy development in China." Mao Weicheng, party secretary and deputy director of Fusion Science Institute of Southwest Institute of physics of nuclear industry, introduced that on December 4, 2020, a new generation of "artificial sun" device - China circulator No. 2 m (HL-2M) device was completed in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and realized the first discharge. "Scientific research is the forerunner of science, technology and industry. Only by making continuous breakthroughs in the field of original scientific research and innovation can we ensure that the core technology is firmly in our own hands." This is the consensus of the "seed sun" team. Over the past few years, the "planting sun" team has tried every means to start with the full localization of device construction, constantly overcome key technical difficulties and overcome the phenomenon of "neck sticking" to the greatest extent. The vacuum chamber of HL-2M device provides an ultra vacuum environment for discharge experiments, which is several orders of magnitude lower than the cosmic vacuum environment, and is used to contain hundreds of millions of degrees of high-temperature plasma. However, due to high design accuracy and manufacturing difficulty, many enterprises inform that the vacuum chamber cannot be processed. "We can only quickly adjust scientific thinking to engineering thinking and design engineering drawings ourselves." Zhong Wuliu, deputy director of Fusion Science Institute of Southwest Institute of physics of nuclear industry, said that after six years of difficult exploration, the team has manufactured China's first fully welded annular ultra-high vacuum vessel with D-shaped section special material, double-layer hyperbolic rate and thin-walled parts, and the relevant processes and technical indicators have reached the international leading level. "Most of the time, it is unthinkable to push down the key plan and start over again, but in the 'planting the sun' team, it is the norm of scientific research work." Cai Lijun, deputy secretary of the Party committee of the Fusion Science Institute of the Southwest Institute of physics of the nuclear industry, said, "original innovation means that we should dare to push down and start over again and continue to march into the breadth and depth of science and technology." "The completion of HL-2M device is an unprecedented undertaking. To realize this miracle within the specified time, the most fundamental thing is to have a scientific research team that can struggle and dare to work hard." Mao Weicheng said. The United States banned the sale of high-strength expansion bolts on the grounds of core technology, which is another "neck sticking" problem that the team needs to solve. "The more blockade, the more we have to surpass." Team members from scratch, after hundreds of material comparison and thousands of trial production, finally overcome the key technology and break the foreign blockade. "All the core components of HL-2M device are designed and manufactured by our Chinese people." Cai Lijun said that the team has not only forged a number of leading talents and innovation teams with international vision, but also greatly improved China's manufacturing level and engineering technology capacity, driving the upgrading of industrial technology. "As a young scientific research team, we will always fight on the front line of climbing the peak of nuclear fusion technology and build an open and shared international cooperation platform." "Planting the sun" team members unanimously said, "we strive to light the world's first 'fusion lamp' in China." (Xinhua News Agency)

Edit:Xia Qin Responsible editor:Li Shihan

Source:gmw.cn

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