Building a Sci-Fi Empire: Starting with Cold Nuclear Fusion

Shen Yun flattered, "Little Chen, good Little Chen, can you perfect the design completely so I can take it to the higher-ups?"

Fearing rejection, Li Jiansheng added, "Although we won't be using the technology you provide for the current upgrades of the EAST reactor, we can still initiate a new project to build a new nuclear fusion experimental reactor."

"There's really no need to build a new experimental reactor."

Chen Yuan didn't make his point too clear.

If you want to build a real, controlled nuclear fusion reactor, why would you want to build this technologically backward reactor? Isn't that a waste of research funds?

Chen Yuan continued, "I originally intended to use these technologies for the micro-upgrade of the EAST radio system. Okay, bring me the computer, I'll refine it."

Chu Yingying stepped forward and placed the laptop in front of her.

A crowd gathered around.

Previously, they had only seen the dynamic magnetic control device; they didn't know what the design drawings for the other two devices looked like.

Chen Yuan turned on his computer screen.

Li Jian looked at the second device design drawing and asked, "What kind of device is this?"

Shen Yun, Zhang Qian, Jin Sheng, and others were also very curious.

Chen Yuan refined the technology and casually remarked, "Internal direct cooling technology device."

"Internal direct cooling technology?" Shen Yun inquired, "Could you explain how it works?"

"Can."

Chen Yuan agreed.

Upon hearing this, Li Jian, Zhang Qian, Jin Sheng, and the others perked up their ears.

Chen Yuan explained, "This is a completely closed, zero-medium leakage, self-circulating immortal cryogenic lock-in system. The entire refrigeration unit is like a low-temperature black core wrapped in a vacuum jacket. It has no external discharge port, no consumables, and no supply dependence. Instead of using traditional refrigerant filling, it uses supercritical quantum cooling medium to circulate at high speed in micro-nano channels, forming an invisible low-temperature shield on the surface of the superconducting tape... Well, it would be difficult for you to build this with your existing technology, so I designed a simplified version of the liquid nitrogen refrigeration device. This advanced version is for your future research at a higher level. I call the core of this device a coupled solid-state chiller. If you insist on naming it, you can call it the 'Oriental Superconducting Solid-State Chiller Device'."

Such cutting-edge technology?

Li Jian, Shen Yun, and Zhang Qian are definitely top-notch in the field of nuclear fusion research and development.

As a result, after listening to the description of the coupled solid-state chiller, they only had a vague understanding.

Although they didn't understand the full version of the coupled solid-state chiller, they gleaned an important piece of information: the simplified version used liquid nitrogen for cooling.

Chen Yuan had mentioned in the control room that liquid nitrogen would be used for cooling, but no one paid much attention at the time.

Without seeing the technology firsthand, how would anyone know how it is?

Now that everyone has seen the device design drawings and understands the technology involved, they realize that Chen Yuan's design can indeed enable the upgraded EAST toroidal tube to become a high-temperature superconductor, thereby utilizing liquid nitrogen for cooling.

The liquid helium refrigeration used in EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) is a low-temperature superconducting refrigeration system, which is costly and has significant limitations.

Liquid nitrogen refrigeration is different; it is very inexpensive.

In addition, Li Jian, Shen Yun and others keenly noticed that the coupled solid-state cooler is an internal direct cooling system, rather than the closed-loop cooling system currently used by Dongfang Superconducting.

Using this method, the complexity of the refrigeration system will be greatly reduced, requiring only a small refrigeration unit.

Unlike the EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) system, which requires a super-large liquid helium refrigeration system.

This not only saves a lot of maintenance costs, but also reduces the space required for the main unit, making it smaller.

Li Jian, Shen Yun, Zhang Qian, and the others' eyes lit up; they were once again impressed by the technology of the device designed by Chen Yuan.

Zhang Qian looked at the design diagram at the bottom and asked, "Where's this energy recovery device?"

Chen Yuan explained, "I named this device the 'Entropy Inverse Superconducting Energy Recovery Module.' It is a strong-field closed-loop energy recovery system that works in conjunction with a coupled solid-state chiller to achieve a three-level self-consistent cycle of electromagnetic energy, cold energy, and electrical energy. The working principle is that when the superconducting tape is in a zero-resistance current-carrying state, the instantaneous induced electromotive force, induced surge, hysteresis loss, and quench pre-release energy generated when the coil is switched on and off, the magnetic field rises and falls, or the load is suddenly unloaded are all captured by the array-type superconducting switch and the non-reciprocal superconducting quantum junction. They are not converted into waste heat and dissipated, but are temporarily stored in a lossless superconducting energy storage ring."

I go!

So cutting-edge?

Li Jian, Shen Yun, Zhang Qian, and the others were stunned.

Chen Yuan continued, "The EAST toroidal converter does not have superconducting energy recovery; all the residual energy is emitted as waste heat, which is a waste of energy. According to my design, the residual energy recovery steady-state rate can reach 96%, and the theoretical peak rate can reach 99.7%."

Li Jian: "..."

Shen Yun: "..."

Zhang Qian and Jin Sheng, among others: "..."

Can a nuclear fusion device recover 96% of its steady-state residual energy?

Everyone was stunned.

Let alone nuclear fusion devices, even the waste heat utilization rate of glass furnace flue gas, which currently has a high waste energy recovery rate, is only 80%.

You achieved a 96% residual energy recovery rate in a nuclear fusion device under steady-state conditions?

This is simply groundbreaking, god-level technology!

Shen Yun, Li Jian, Zhang Qian, and the others were stunned and speechless after hearing this.

……

Beijing.

It's 7 p.m.

Mr. Lu, who was at home, received an urgent email from the Institute of Plasma Physics.

He learned in the afternoon that Chen Yuan, who had been "idling around," had caused quite a stir, so when he received this email, his first thought was that it was related to what had happened that afternoon.

Mr. Lu clicked to watch.

The top section contains some key data comparisons.

He doesn't understand nuclear fusion technology, but he doesn't think he can't understand the data comparison.

Mr. Lu did not seek assistance from professionals, but instead observed the situation on his own.

A core comparison between Chen Yuan Superconducting Toroidal Circuit and Dongfang Superconducting Toroidal Circuit.

First, there are the materials and critical parameters.

Superconducting systems: REBCO (Chen Yuan superconducting ring high-temperature superconductor) vs NbTi/Nb₃Sn (EAST low-temperature superconductor)

Tc: 90–93K (liquid nitrogen temperature range) vs 9–18K (liquid helium temperature range)

77K self-field IC...

High field performance...

Next is the capability of magnets and devices.

Maximum magnetic field: 20–25T for a single coil vs. EAST's maximum of 13T

Cooling costs...

Device size...

Pulse capability: better suited for steady-state/long pulses vs. EAST has achieved kilosecond-level steady-state operation.

Next comes engineering and cost.

Below is a lot of data, as well as information on various devices.

Mr. Lu rubbed his head and didn't look any further.

Because after reading all of this, he realized something—he had overestimated himself.

Mr. Lu had no choice but to call Xin Long and then send the information over via internal email.

He thought Xinlong would finish reading it quickly.

Two hours passed and there was still no response.

Mr. Lu was a little confused, so he dialed the number again.

A moment later, the call was connected.

Xin Long's exclamation came from the other end: "Mr. Lu, these incredible technologies, could they have been designed by Chen Yuan again?"

Mr. Lu said expressionlessly, "Yes, it's him. So what?"

Xin Long stated frankly, "I believe these technologies have a high probability of being realized, and we have the potential to build a commercially viable controlled nuclear fusion reactor!"

Ok?

Could this lead to the development of a commercially viable controlled nuclear fusion reactor?

Mr. Lu's face remained expressionless, but his eyes changed.

Xin Long was very excited. "Mr. Lu, you may not know how advanced these technologies are. Let me put it this way, they can save us at least thirty years, or even more, in magnetic confinement fusion research!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Lu was deeply moved.

He certainly understood what saving thirty years of research and development time meant.

This means that it could save thousands or even trillions of yuan in research and development funds.

This means that China's nuclear fusion research is 30 years ahead of the world, enough to form an unbreakable technological barrier!

Mr. Lu asked with some disbelief, "Are you sure that the technology described in this document can lead to a commercially viable controlled nuclear fusion reactor?"

Xin Long said, "There is no problem with the technology. It is theoretically feasible to build a commercial controlled nuclear fusion reactor. However, there is one problem: the core device requires the assistance of very advanced artificial intelligence. The current level of artificial intelligence technology is simply not capable of undertaking such an important task. Therefore, it will take some time to build a commercial controlled nuclear fusion reactor. However, by improving the EAST toroidal reactor according to these technologies, it will be no problem to reach the level of a demonstration reactor in a short period of time."

Mr. Lu nodded. "Understood. Okay, thank you for your trouble. I need to think about something, so I'll talk to you later."

Xin Long said "Goodbye".

Mr. Lu hung up the phone.

He stood up and went to the window, gazing at the dazzling starry sky outside.

Although Mr. Lu was gazing at the starry sky, Chen Yuan's image was on his mind.

He knew that this was a super genius who could change the way the world obtains energy.

A super genius who can make China stand at the top of the world!

Mr. Lu valued Chen Yuan more and more and thought about many things.

For example, we can't let such a genius do nothing and wait for half a year before the project is approved.

Or perhaps we shouldn't bury that cutting-edge nuclear fusion technology and just use it to build an experimental reactor.

"You really surprised and delighted me."

Mr. Lu gave a strange smile.

He could not allow Chen Yuan to "do as he pleased".

Today, Chen Yuan was doing nothing and almost revealed these advanced technologies to foreign scientists. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

He was really afraid that Chen Yuan would create another "Iron Man" out of boredom and cause a sensation around the world, which would be a huge problem.

Mr. Lu felt it was necessary to keep Chen Yuan busy.

Although some things are against the rules, what do rules matter when it comes to a genius like him?