I am devoted to scientific research, but you want to trick me into having a love relationship?

Chapter 743 News from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany

In early April, with the air thick with the scent of early spring, the institute was busier than ever before since its founding.

There were no grand pronouncements or lofty ambitions.

On Monday, Xu Qingzhou held a routine meeting as usual before immersing himself in his busy work.

The process of integrating and installing the system is quite complicated.

The most crucial step in vacuum chamber integration is to precisely align the negative triangular plasma configuration with the annular vacuum chamber, ensuring that the distance error between the plasma boundary layer and the first wall is ≤1 mm.

The materials research institute has entered full-load mode, and the days are passing by.

Xu Qingzhou didn't receive the news he expected from the Southwest Institute of Nuclear Physics, but instead received news from the Max Planck Society.

The Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany announced...

On April 1st, the W7-X stellarator successfully maintained the triple product peak for 70 seconds, officially achieving the leap from the second-level to the minute-level triple product peak of stellarators.

This news has caused quite a stir in the field of controlled nuclear fusion.

This means that in just six months, the W7-X stellarator's energy confinement capability has increased by more than 60%.

Previously, there had been a technological debate between tokamak and stellarator.

However, due to high construction costs and complex technology, the world's mainstream has chosen the former, and even international cooperation on controlled nuclear fusion has chosen tokamak.

However, the stellarator is currently setting records time and time again, further validating the engineering feasibility of the stellarator technology route.

It is foreseeable that a large amount of capital will flow into the field of stellarator development in the near future.

Klinger also sent a special email to Xu Qingzhou, providing some parameters of the superconducting magnet's operation, as a way of expressing his gratitude to Xu Qingzhou and his team for providing the superconducting magnet.

Xu Qingzhou readily accepted that the stellarator's ability to operate with long pulses was largely due to the substrate-free NbSn thin film. After briefly reviewing the data for the W7-X stellarator, he turned his attention back to his work.

Rongcheng.

"The tea is on the table, make it yourself." In the office, Academician Liu Fanyang looked down at the materials in his hand and said to the fat old man who came in.

The fat old man didn't stand on ceremony and brewed tea for himself. "The weather in Chengdu is only pleasant during this season and autumn."

The fat old man's name was Wang Pingbo, and he was a nuclear physics expert whom Liu Fanyang had invited back from the United States.

While complaining, Wang Pingbo asked again, "Are you looking at the data from Germany?"

"Yes, I just finished watching it."

Liu Fanyang closed the documents in his hand and said to Wang Pingbo with emotion, "Old Wang, who is so fast, I have a feeling that the commercialization of controlled nuclear fusion is getting closer and closer to us."

"Yes, currently, every second increase in constraint time in the W7-X requires millisecond-level precision in coordinating particle injection and microwave heating. A 70-second hold represents a generational leap in the control system, and could even shorten the design cycle by 90%, which is a truly frightening figure."

Wang Pingbo said in a deep voice: "It is undeniable that the Max Planck Society still holds a dominant position in stellarator technology."

"The gap exists. Even if we acquire plasma confinement optimization and diagnostic and heating technologies, we still cannot catch up in a short period of time. However, we have successfully verified the quasi-toroidal symmetric magnetic field configuration of CFQS-T and have our first prototype within two years, which can be considered as taking the first step."

Liu Fanyang has a very good attitude.

Plasma confinement optimization and diagnostics, along with heating technology, are two core technologies of the W7-X, involving plasma time and magnetic field enhancement. Although their technical approaches differ from those of the W7-X, they are essentially the same in terms of plasma confinement time and magnetic field control.

Once the stellarator design is completed, it will achieve ultra-high precision "quasi-circumferential symmetrical magnetic field configuration" for the first time in the world, reducing neoclassical transport losses and improving plasma confinement performance.

It will definitely be able to gain a place in the field of stellarators.

The results of the first phase are encouraging, but the work ahead still faces many challenges.

The biggest obstacle is still talent.

Over the past year, the high salaries have attracted many scientists, but in terms of talent reserves in the field of stellarators, it still cannot compare with behemoths like the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. "Let's proceed cautiously and steadily."

Liu Fanyang smiled, saw that the water on the table had boiled, and made tea for his old friend. "At least we don't have to worry about funding issues now."

At the beginning of the year, Zero Point Technology had just transferred 3 million yuan, which was the research funding for the first quarter.

To put it simply, the preliminary design plan and budget approved by Sichuan Province for the project only amounted to 2.47 million yuan.

Domestic investment is mainly focused on tokamak, especially in recent years as tokamak has developed rapidly and is crucial for the commercialization of controlled nuclear fusion. Provincial-level projects like these receive very little funding.

Although he said that, Liu Fanyang was actually a little anxious inside.

If we take so much money and end up accomplishing nothing, we'll lose all face.

"Our goal is not just speed, but also to strive for excellence. We must ensure that all the technologies we have currently verified are at the forefront of the world."

Liu Fanyang thought to himself.

He had talked to Xu Qingzhou before, and they shared the same view: if they were going to do it, they should do it the best, and they should never settle for less, even if the experiment stalled.

Otherwise, in two or three years, his device will be an antique.

"I heard that the Southwest Institute of Nuclear Physics has also been making some big moves recently." Wang Pingbo took a sip of tea, puzzled.

"Yes, they are preparing for an improvement experiment on triple product peaks, but I don't know how far they can go."

Liu Fanyang nodded.

3×10 keV·s/m is the threshold for igniting controlled nuclear fusion energy.

而先前环流三号的三乘积仅(10^{20})量级，与点火阈值相差约1个数量级，也就是阈值的1/10。

"It needs to improve by at least 20%, tokamak, it's really a battle of gods right now." Wang Pingbo sighed as he thought about the fierce competition, then paused, "But Professor Xu's side... doesn't seem to be making any moves."

In the past year, apart from the quantum magnetic field sensing system mentioned some time ago, there has been no other news.

Professor Xu

Liu Fanyang shrugged helplessly and said with a smile, "You can't look at it from an ordinary perspective. They mainly keep a low profile. Look at lithium dendrites and shuttle effect, they did it all quietly."

"However, I think we should be able to make a tokamak device within two years."

The fact that the Institute of Materials Science has achieved so much in just one year speaks volumes about its strength. But controlled nuclear fusion is a different story; Xu Qingzhou's side started from scratch.

Those who possess martial arts skills from childhood are few and far between.

Even at the fastest speed, it will probably take several years.

Just then, the assistant knocked twice on the door and said, "Minister Lin from the Provincial Department of Science and Technology is here."

"Okay, I'll go greet them."

Liu Fanyang stood up and said.

The success of the German W7-X stellarator has benefited not only the stellarator itself, but also other similar research institutions indirectly.

It is estimated that they saw hope in the stellarator.

The idea was to avoid putting all eggs in one basket, which led to the development of the stellarator project. However, due to limited funding, the project could not be scaled up and remained at the provincial level.

If nothing unexpected happens, the project's level will likely need to be upgraded.

As for funding, I expect they'll provide more.

(End of this chapter)