China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor

The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (Chinese: 中国聚变工程实验堆; pinyin: Zhōngguó Jùbiàn Gōngchéng Shíyànduī), or CFETR, is a planned tokamak fusion reactor. It uses a magnetic field to hold very hot gas, called plasma, in place while it creates energy. As of 2015, tokamaks were the best choice for building a machine that can produce energy through nuclear fusion.

The CFETR will build on research done by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program. It aims to help create future power plants that can provide electricity to homes and businesses, called the Demonstration Power Plant (DEMO).

By 2019, China already had three fusion test reactors running. These were EAST in Hefei, HL-2A in Chengdu, and J-TEXT in Wuhan. In 2021, the HL-2A was upgraded to the HL-2M. This helps scientists learn more about how a real CFETR might work. The basic design for CFETR was finished in 2015, and building it could start in the 2020s, with completion expected in the 2030s. This project could help create a cleaner way to produce energy with a much smaller impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels.

Aims and objectives

The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is planned to work in two steps. In the first step, it needs to show it can run smoothly for a long time and make its own tritium, a special material needed for the process. It should also be able to produce up to 200 MW of energy.

In the second step, called the DEMO phase, the CFETR aims to create more than 1 GW of power. It will also help scientists test different materials to find ones that can handle high levels of neutron flux well.

Main article: DEMO
Main articles: research and development
tritium
neutron flux

Design

The CFETR, or China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, is a project to build a special machine that can create energy using a process called fusion. By 2019, scientists were busy designing this machine. From 2010 to 2015, they worked on showing that building a smaller version of this machine could be affordable and practical.

Starting in 2015, they began designing a bigger machine that could produce enough power to meet important needs. Since 2017, they have been testing different ways to make the machine work and studying how each part should be built. By 2019, they were putting all their ideas together to make the project stronger.

Challenges

The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, planned for Hefei in Anhui province, has many challenges. Scientists must solve 19 big problems, like controlling the reactor and making special materials. One big challenge is having enough fuel. While deuterium is easy to find, tritium is rare and hard to make. Researchers are finding new ways to make and reuse tritium.

Before renewable energy like solar and wind power, fusion was thought to be a clean energy source. But now, renewables are cheaper and used more. Building and running fusion reactors costs a lot of money. Even though fusion may not be the cheapest, it could help when renewable energy isn’t enough.

Safety is very important. Fusion reactors are designed to be safer than traditional reactors, but special safety rules are still being made. Engineers are working to keep people safe, even in rare accidents. They are also studying how to handle the waste from fusion reactors, which is less harmful than waste from traditional reactors and disappears faster.

Future

On December 4, 2020, the HL-2M was heated to about 150 million degrees Celsius, which is ten times hotter than the sun's core. This success helped move the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) from planning to building.

China is focusing on clean energy, so building the CFETR is just a matter of time. It is expected to start construction in the 2020s, with a working model ready by 2035 and widespread use by 2050. This plan is part of China’s efforts to reach carbon neutrality between 2021 and 2025.