Chinese team produces core components of world’s largest ‘artificial sun’

Manufacturing of the core components of the next-generation “artificial sun,” the full-size prototype of the enhancedheat-flux (EHF) first wall (FW) panel, has been completed in China with its core indexes being significantly better than its design requirements and meeting the conditions for mass manufacturing, marking a new breakthrough by China in the scientific research of the core technology of EHF FW, the Global Times learned from its research team on Tuesday.

Also known as the world’s largest “artificial sun,” the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) for the exploration and development of nuclear fusion energy is one of the largest and most far-reaching international scientific projects in the world, and the largest international scientific and technological cooperation project that China participates in as an equal alongside with the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US.

China signed an agreement on the launch of the ITER project with the other six parties in 2006 and has shouldered responsibility for about 9 percent of its tasks.

The EHF FW panel, which can withstand a surface plasma ion temperature of the reactor core up to 150 million C, some 10 times hotter than the real Sun, during the operation of the ITER, is the most critical core component of the reactor, involving the core technology of the fusion reactor construction.

The technology mastered by China previously took the lead in passing international certification.

Through the work, China has independently mastered the principle of the process and made breakthroughs while also providing “Chinese wisdom” and “Chinese plans,” making huge contributions to fulfilling international commitments and demonstrating its responsibilities as a major power, Chinese officials said.