Studies on 'Artificial Sun' back on the agenda

ISTANBUL (AA) - ABDULKADİR GÜNYOL - Istanbul Medipol University faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ozan Emre Eyupoğlu stated regarding the artificial sun studies in China, "In the May 2022 trial, 160 million degrees Celsius, which is 10 times hotter than the sun, was reached for 20 seconds. This reactor, which operates like a nuclear power plant, produces energy that does not generate hazardous waste, is non-radioactive, and does not emit carbon."

Following the operation of a nuclear fusion reactor in Hefei, China—often referred to as an "artificial sun"—at 70 million degrees for over 17 minutes, the "artificial sun" system has once again become a subject of curiosity.

Speaking on the subject, Istanbul Medipol University faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ozan Emre Eyupoğlu said that the artificial sun system is designed to artificially replicate the sun's energy on Earth.

"160 MILLION DEGREES CELSIUS, 10 TIMES HOTTER THAN THE SUN, WAS REACHED"

Stating that 140 thousand amperes of electricity are sent into a hydrogen gas cloud to attempt to fuse hydrogen atoms and create helium through fusion, Eyupoğlu said, "At high temperatures, hydrogen isotopes are boiled and turned into plasma, and then combined to release energy."

Eyupoğlu emphasized that while the artificial sun system cannot create a new sun, it could pave the way for cheap and clean energy, noting that the challenge here is managing the fusion reaction chain safely. Eyupoğlu said, "In the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, the nuclear fusion reactor research facility in Hefei, China, using hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuel along with tungsten and molybdenum plates, 160 million degrees Celsius, which is 10 times hotter than the sun, was reached for 20 seconds in the May 2022 trial. This reactor, which operates like a nuclear power plant, produces energy that does not generate hazardous waste, is non-radioactive, and does not emit carbon."

Emphasizing that cleaner and cheaper energy will be provided with the artificial sun, Eyupoğlu said, "Although the reactor will serve as an artificial sun, the operating system produces far less toxic waste than the fusion process in the real sun. Who knows, perhaps in the near future, the Iron Man movie we watch in theaters, which features an artificial energy reactor, could become a reality. In the movie, the artificial reactor is used as the ignition energy source in Iron Man's rocket system and does not harm the environment. Furthermore, there is the possibility of converting even the rays coming from the sun into energy via solar panels installed on space platforms and transferring this energy to Earth. Therefore, cheap, clean energy will be an important race of the future."

Prof. Dr. Serhat Yüksel, a faculty member at the Istanbul Medipol University Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, discussed the benefits of nuclear fusion energy, providing the information that, "First of all, natural isotopes of hydrogen are used in this fusion energy. As can be understood from this, this type of energy has an unlimited source."

Yüksel pointed out that another concern that comes to mind is the possibility of nuclear fusion reactors exploding, stating, "Problems previously experienced in nuclear power plants like Chernobyl naturally make people uneasy. However, I would like to highlight a difference here. The currently known reactors are nuclear fission reactors. In this context, energy is obtained by splitting the atom's nucleus. These reactors are completely different from nuclear fusion reactors. In nuclear fusion reactors, the nucleus is not split, but rather combined. Therefore, the amount of hazardous waste in nuclear fusion reactors is quite low. For this reason, this type of energy can be considered clean and environmentally friendly. In addition to these, it is possible to obtain high amounts of energy from nuclear fusion reactors. This also contributes to significantly increasing energy efficiency. Another benefit of nuclear fusion energy is related to energy supply security. Thanks to this energy, countries will be able to produce their own energy and will not have to import energy from abroad."

Noting that nuclear fusion studies are of vital importance for the energy industry, Yüksel pointed out that this project has been ongoing for many years. Stating that experiments are carried out periodically within the scope of this project, Yüksel continued his words as follows:

"However, I would like to say that people generally misinterpret news in the media. With every experimental result, an impression arises as if this energy has just been obtained. However, nuclear fusion energy has been obtained for some time. The work being carried out is aimed at obtaining this energy efficiently. I would like to explain this more simply. Currently, nuclear fusion energy can be obtained. However, the cost of obtaining this energy is still high. As long as these costs are high, it is quite difficult for this technology to be adopted commercially. Nevertheless, the results of the studies show that these costs are falling rapidly."

Commenting that "As long as studies continue in this way, it will be possible to obtain this energy efficiently," Yüksel concluded his words as follows:

"Following this, this technology will be able to be adopted commercially. In this case, the economic impact of the energy in question could be quite high. A country that can produce high amounts of efficient energy will also be able to increase its power in economic terms. The important point here is the necessity for these studies to continue at the same pace. Although it is not economically reasonable at the moment, recent study results give the impression that this situation could be successful in economic terms in a short time."