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A Chinese-made fusion reactor is creating breakdowns – Thai scientists are delighted
- Using a tokamak reactor donated by China, researchers in Thailand are generating hydrogen plasma to learn more about nuclear fusion
- The country has joined the pursuit of clean fusion energy, considered the ultimate solution to humanity’s future power needs
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Scientists in Thailand have begun generating hydrogen plasma with the help of a device known as a tokamak, recently donated by China, in a bid to position the region as a hub for research on clean fusion energy.
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The team said they were confident the device – known as Thailand Tokamak-1 (TT-1) – will reach its full capacity this month, opening the door for research, and the possibility of further raising the temperature inside the machine.
A tokamak – a doughnut-shaped device built to harness the energy of fusion – produces an extremely powerful magnetic field to contain and control hydrogen gas that is 10 times hotter than the core of the sun.
The thermonuclear fusion reaction – the same process that has kept the sun burning for the past 5 billion years – is seen as the ultimate solution to humanity’s future energy needs. Unlike today’s uranium-fuelled nuclear power plants, a fusion reactor would produce no radioactive waste.
The refurbished device was developed and donated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) in Hefei, Anhui province, where it had operated for 18 years up to 2002.
TT-1 is expected to help train scientists and engineers from Thailand and Asean member states. Last month, the Thai researchers, along with Chinese peers who offer on-site support, began testing the device after it was installed.
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