Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
HEFEI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — The Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST), a compact fusion experimental device under construction in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, has reached a major milestone with the successful installation of its first key component, the Dewar base, marking progress toward the world's first fusion-powered electricity generation.
Fusion energy is often called the ideal "ultimate energy source." Its generation is based on replicating the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun. Unlike previous experimental fusion devices, BEST is designed to demonstrate the actual "burning" of deuterium-tritium plasma. Since full-scale assembly began in May of this year, the facility has attracted significant public attention.
At the bottom of BEST is a Dewar base, which functions as a giant high-vacuum thermos. It insulates the superconducting magnets, which must operate at minus 269 degrees Celsius, allowing them to contain plasma heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius.
Huang Xiongyi, a junior researcher at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on Wednesday that the Dewar base serves as the base of BEST and will eventually support the entire equipment system, which weighs more than 6,000 tons.
The Dewar base, weighing over 400 tons, with a diameter of approximately 18 meters and a height of 5 meters, is not only the heaviest single component of the BEST main machine, but also the largest vacuum component ever produced in China's fusion research field.
According to Huang Xiongyi, the development of the Dewar base involved a number of breakthroughs in many advanced technical areas, including high-precision molding and welding, millimeter-scale deformation control, and ultra-high vacuum sealing. These challenges were successfully overcome, enabling millimeter-level precision during installation.
Following the successful installation of this unit, other major components will be supplied to equip the main vehicle, and the BEST is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027. -0-
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