Nuclear synthesis has the potential to revolutionize the world of energy, offering abundant and environmentally friendly power. Estimates suggest that nuclear fusion has the capability to produce 4 million times more energy than fossil fuels such as coal or oil. The primary goal for scientists is to find an effective way to harness this power.
A new tool has emerged to aid in this endeavor: JT-60SA, the most powerful nuclear reactor ever created. This reactor, valued at $600 million, is located in Japan and takes the form of a donut-shaped device called a Tokamak. Inside the Tokamak, the gas is heated to hundreds of millions of degrees Fahrenheit, creating plasma where hydrogen atoms can be fused together to initiate nuclear synthesis.
With the capacity to contain 30-40% more plasma than its predecessor, the Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK, JT-60SA is a joint project between Japan and the European Union. While this experimental apparatus, costing 560 million euros, is not intended for commercial electricity production, the knowledge gained from its operation will contribute to studies of an even larger Tokamak – the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
ITER, which will be twice the size of JT-60SA and produce five times the volume of plasma, aims to achieve pure energy by generating 10 times more energy than is required for its formation. This ambitious project could mark a new era in the field of nuclear synthesis energy.
The significance of JT-60SA lies in its contribution to the study and analysis of plasma. Over the next two years, researchers will enhance JT-60SA by increasing the heating power to facilitate synthesis reactions.
In Japan, work is also underway on a demonstration energy installation that aims to showcase the possibility of obtaining electricity from synthesis. It is projected to be operational by 2050, and the experiments conducted on JT-60SA can be valuable in achieving this goal.
In the United States, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has also made important strides in the field of nuclear synthesis. In December 2022, researchers achieved a major breakthrough by obtaining more energy from the synthesis reaction than was expended to initiate it. Unlike JT-60SA, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employs lasers to compress the fuel capsule, a process known as inertial confinement fusion.
Both the Tokamak and inertial fusion approaches face scientific and engineering challenges before synthesis-based power plants can become a reality. However, the diversity of approaches is crucial for achieving success in this field.