New earth fusion energy record


It was announced two days ago that the JET tokamak, at Culham near Abingdon, produced two and a half times the amount of fusion energy obtained during a previous trial in 1997. It provides test evidence that the more advanced tokamak, called ITER, being built in the South of France, is worthwhile.

JET’s tokamak reactor has atoms of deuterium and tritium at the center. These isotopes of hydrogen (having one and two additional neutrons respectively), are heated to temperatures (10 x the Sun’s centre) to fuse them into helium atoms. This reaction releases a huge amount of energy.

There is more information with videos at https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/fusion-energy-record-demonstrates-powerplant-future/.

The picture from Abingdon Museum has some information about atomic research happening at Harwell and Culham.

1 thought on “New earth fusion energy record

  1. Ab Ithel

    Sixty years to get a five second burn! It’s never going to happen in spite of the superb public relations of the fusion community.

    Reply

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