Nuclear Energy

High plasma density operation is crucial for a tokamak to achieve energy breakeven and burning plasma. However, there is often an empirical upper limit of electron density in tokamak operation, namely, the Greenwald density limit, above which tokamaks generally disrupt. Achieving high-density operation above the density limit has been a long-standing challenge in magnetic confinement fusion research. Here, we report experimental results on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) achieving line-averaged electron density in the range of (1.3 to 1.65) , significantly above the typical EAST operational range of (0.8 to 1.0) . This is performed with electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH)–assisted ohmic start-up and sufficiently high initial neutral density. These experiments are shown to operate in the density-free regime first predicted by a recent plasma-wall self-organization theory. These results suggest a promising scheme for substantially increasing the density limit in tokamaks, a critical advancement toward achieving burning plasma.

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Of the nine large-scale nuclear power plants that began construction last year, seven are in China, one is in Russia and the other is in South Korea, according to the World Nuclear Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency. China and Russia have dominated the nuclear power industry over the past decade. Of the 63 nuclear power plants that began construction worldwide since 2016, Chinese and Russian-made plants accounted for over 90%. The only nuclear power plants not built by China or Russia were five in South Korea and the U.K.

According to China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 27 reactors are under construction in the country. A government-affiliated industry association projects nuclear power generation capacity there will reach 110 gigawatts by 2030, surpassing the United States to become the world's largest nuclear power producer. In April last year, the Chinese government approved plans to build 10 reactors in five locations. Nuclear power is expected to account for 10% of the energy mix in 2040, up from just under 5% in 2024.

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tphuang said:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2012247762809582004

Work has started in the first integrated PWR + HTGCR project in Xuwei, Jiangsu.

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