Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), internal designation HT-7U, is an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, China. The Hefei Institutes of Physical Science is conducting the experiment for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has operated since 2006.

It is the first tokamak to employ superconducting toroidal and poloidal magnets. It aims for plasma pulses of up to 1000 seconds.

History

EAST followed China's first superconducting tokamak device, dubbed HT-7, built by the Institute of Plasma Physics in partnership with Russia in the early 1990s.

The project was proposed in 1996 and approved in 1998. According to a 2003 schedule,[1] buildings and site facilities were to be constructed by 2003. Tokamak assembly was to take place from 2003 through 2005.

Construction was completed in March 2006 and on September 28, 2006, "first plasma" was achieved.

According to official reports, the project's budget is CNY ¥300 million (approximately US$37 million), some 1/15 to 1/20 the cost of a comparable reactor built in other countries.[2]
Phase I

On September 28, 2006, first plasma was achieved—the first test lasted nearly three seconds, and generated an electrical current of 200 kiloamperes.[3]

By Jan 2007 "the reactor created a plasma lasting nearly five seconds and generating an electrical current of 500 kilo amperes".[4]

On November 7, 2010, EAST achieved its first H-mode plasma by LHW alone.

In May 2011, EAST became the first tokamak to successfully sustain H-Mode plasma for over 30 seconds at ~50 million Kelvin.
Phase II

On November 29, 2011, The ribbon-cutting ceremony for EAST auxiliary heating system project was held, signifying EAST's entering of “Phase-II”.

On May 19, 2014, after nearly 20-month-long upgrading break since September 2012, EAST was ready for the first round of experiments in 2014.

By May 2015, EAST was reporting 1 MA currents, and H-mode for 6.4 seconds.[5]

In February, 2016, a plasma pulse was maintained for a record 102 seconds at ~50 million Kelvin.[6] Plasma current of 400kA and a density of about 2.4 x 1019/m3 with slowly increasing temperature.[6]

On November 2, 2016, EAST became the first tokamak to successfully sustain H-Mode plasma for over a minute at ~50 million °C.[7]

On July 3, 2017, EAST became the first tokamak to successfully sustain H-Mode plasma for over 100 seconds at ~50 million °C.[8]

On November 12, 2018, EAST reached a milestone of 100 million °C electron temperature.[9]

Physics objectives

China is a member of the ITER consortium, and EAST is a testbed for ITER technologies.

EAST was designed to test:

Superconducting Niobium-titanium poloidal field magnets, making it the first tokamak with superconducting toroidal and poloidal magnets
Non-inductive current drive
Pulses of up to 102 seconds with 0.5 MA plasma current
Schemes for controlling plasma instabilities through real-time diagnostics
Materials for diverters and plasma facing components
Operation with βN = 2 and confinement factor H89 > 2

Tokamak parameters
Tokamak parameters[10] Toroidal field, Bt 3.5 T
Plasma current, IP 1.0 MA
Major radius, R0 1.85 m
Minor radius, a 0.45 m
Aspect ratio, R/a 4.11
Elongation, κ 1.6–2
Triangularity, δ 0.6–0.8 　
Ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) 3 MW
Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) 4 MW
Electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) None currently (0.5 MW planned)
Neutral beam injection (NBI) None currently (planned)
Pulse length 1–1000 s
Configuration Double-null divertor
Pump limiter
Single null divertor
See also

Nuclear technology portal iconEnergy portal flagChina portal

List of fusion experiments
ITER
Joint European Torus
ASDEX Upgrade
JT-60
KSTAR

References

Project/6.doc[dead link]
"China to build world's first "artificial sun" experimental device". People's Daily Online. 2006-01-21.
"China's New Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor Test Successful". China.org.net. September 29, 2006.
Xinhua article Jan 15, 2007 Chinese scientists conduct more tests on thermonuclear fusion reactor. 2007-Jan-15
EAST at IPP-CAS
"That's cute, Germany – China shows the world how fusion is done". The Register. February 6, 2016. more data in screen shot
"EAST Achieves Longest Steady-state H-mode Operations". EAST team. November 15, 2016.
"China's 'artificial sun' sets world record with 100s steady-state high performance plasma". Chinese Academy of Sciences. July 5, 2017.
"Chinese fusion tool pushes past 100 million degrees". Phys.org. November 15, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

"EAST (HT-7U Super conducting Tokamak)----Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, The Chinese Academy of Sciences".

External links

Official website - Official website of EAST Fusion Facility - Chinese Academy of Science
People's Daily article
Xinhua article Mar 1 2006 - Note that EAST is not the "world's first experimental nuclear fusion device".
Xinhua article Mar 24, 2006 Nuke fusion reactor completes test
Mainichi Daily News article Jun 2, 2006[permanent dead link]

vte

Nuclear power in China
Operating power plants

Fujian
Fuqing
Ningde
Guangdong
Daya Bay
Ling Ao
Taishan
Yangjiang
Guangxi
Fangchenggang
Hainan
Changjiang
Jiangsu
Tianwan
Liaoning
Hongyanhe
Shandong
Haiyang
Zhejiang
Fangjiashan
Sanmen
Qinshan

Power plants under construction

Fujian
Xiapu
Zhangzhou
Guangdong
Taipingling
Shandong
Shidaowan
Liaoning
Xudabao

Planned power plants

Guangdong
Lianjiang
Lufeng
Guangxi
Bailong
Hebei
Haixing
Hubei
Xianning
Hunan
Taohuajiang
Jiangsu
Lianyungang
Jiangxi
Pengze
Zheijiang
San'ao

Proposed power plants

Anhui
Jiyang
Wuhu
Chongqing
Fuling
Fujian
Xiapu
Guangdong
Shaoguan
Guangxi
Pingnan
Hebei
Cangzhou
Henan
Nanyang
Xinyang
Hunan
Changde
Xiaomoshan
Jiangxi
Yingtan
Ningdu
Yanjiashan
Jilin
Jingyu
Liaoning
Donggang
Sichuan
Nanchong

Research, experimental
and prototype reactors

CEFR CFETR CFR-600 EAST HT-7 HTR-10

Commercial reactor designs

ACP-600 ACP-1000 ACPR-1000 CAP-1000 CAP-1400 CNP-300 CNP-600 CNP-1000 CPR-1000 HTR-PM Hualong One

Organizations
Power plant operators

China General Nuclear Power Group China National Nuclear Corporation State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation

Construction companies

China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corporation State Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation

Government agencies

China Atomic Energy Authority China Institute of Atomic Energy National Nuclear Safety Administration

Mining

China Nuclear International Uranium Corporation Swakop Uranium

Other

Chinese Nuclear Society

Related categories

Nuclear energy in China Nuclear power stations in China Nuclear technology in China

Category Category Coal power Electricity sector Renewable Energy
Bioenergy Geothermal Hydropower Solar Wind

vte

Fusion power, processes and devices
Core topics

Nuclear fusion
Timeline List of experiments Nuclear power Nuclear reactor Atomic nucleus Fusion energy gain factor Lawson criterion Magnetohydrodynamics Neutron Plasma

Processes,
methods
Confinement
type
Gravitational

Alpha process Triple-alpha process CNO cycle Fusor Helium flash Nova
remnants Proton-proton chain Carbon-burning Lithium burning Neon-burning Oxygen-burning Silicon-burning R-process S-process

Magnetic

Dense plasma focus Field-reversed configuration Levitated dipole Magnetic mirror
Bumpy torus Reversed field pinch Spheromak Stellarator Tokamak
Spherical Z-pinch

Inertial

Bubble (acoustic) Laser-driven Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion

Electrostatic

Fusor Polywell

Other forms

Colliding beam Magnetized target Migma Muon-catalyzed Pyroelectric

Devices, experiments
Magnetic confinement
Tokamak

International

ITER DEMO PROTO

Americas

Canada STOR-M United States Alcator C-Mod ARC
SPARC DIII-D Electric Tokamak LTX NSTX
PLT TFTR Pegasus Brazil ETE Mexico Novillo [es]

Asia,
Oceania

China CFETR EAST
HT-7 SUNIST India ADITYA SST-1 Japan JT-60 QUEST [ja] Pakistan GLAST South Korea KSTAR

Europe

European Union JET Czech Republic COMPASS GOLEM [cs] France TFR WEST Germany ASDEX Upgrade TEXTOR Italy FTU IGNITOR Portugal ISTTOK Russia T-15 Switzerland TCV United Kingdom MAST-U START STEP