Wu Tong would naturally not let herself down in such an important occasion. She adjusted the microphone and said in a deep voice: "In the field of controlled nuclear fusion, you are all my predecessors. I will just briefly explain the advantages of controlled nuclear fusion here to stimulate discussion." This was her respect for those who are working in fusion and working tirelessly for the advancement of the domestic fusion industry.
Wu Tong has always respected the pioneers in the industry. Many of her progress and research and development are based on the foundation laid by her predecessors.
"Einstein's mass-energy equation, E=mc², tells us that even a tiny amount of mass can instantly release enormous amounts of energy if it triggers a reaction at the atomic nucleus. Even though the mass is only one gram, multiplied by the speed of light squared, the energy becomes enormous. This is the principle behind the stable burning of the sun for billions of years, and it's also the reason why most stars in the vast universe shine and emit heat."
Nuclear fusion is inherently safe, meaning it is always safe.
According to the principle of nuclear fusion, the first step is to heat hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium to hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius. This is very difficult to maintain, but easy to stop. The only products are helium and neutrons. The helium is clean, and the neutrons can be absorbed by water. The energy turns the water into steam, which is used to generate electricity.
Therefore, nuclear fusion facilities do not release carbon dioxide and do not contain long-lived radioactive elements. They are a clean and cost-effective energy source that can even be built in city centers.
As fusionists, the most important factor for us to grow the sun is definitely the unlimited resources of nuclear fusion.
One liter of seawater can extract 0.03 grams of deuterium, releasing more energy than the energy produced by burning 340 liters of gasoline. There are 400,000 tons of deuterium in the world's seawater - enough for human use for 10 billion years, which is longer than the lifespan of the sun and the earth.
Furthermore, nuclear fusion power plants are very resource-efficient and have a high power density. A single fusion power plant requires only 150 kilograms of heavy water and 150 kilograms of lithium per year, compared to a 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant that burns 2 million tons of coal annually and a fission power plant that requires 30 tons of uranium.
Clean, cheap, pollution-free, abundant and continuous energy is our long-cherished dream. Humanity has been on the journey of more than half a century for the research on controlled nuclear fusion of hydrogen. Among the solutions to achieve controlled nuclear fusion, magnetic confinement is considered to be the most suitable way to solve the energy problem.
Controlled nuclear fusion technology is not only the cradle of human advanced technology, but more importantly, it truly reflects the shared destiny of mankind. It is also a technological hurdle that we must overcome!
"Currently, domestic research focuses primarily on magnetic confinement, inertial confinement, and tokamaks. This Golden Crow project isn't going to follow a conventional path. Of course, stellarators should be familiar to you, the seniors!"
"Lingyun?"
"Germany's WEGA? Spiral Stone X--7?" Suddenly, two voices sounded almost at the same time. They were Academician Wan from the South China Institute and Academician He from the Southwest Institute.
As leaders in the fusion field, they were well-informed about the fusion field both domestically and internationally. When Wu Tong mentioned the stellarator, they immediately understood. This was also the reaction of the other attendees, who were a bit slow to react, but were keenly informed and well-informed.
However, instead of pursuing the mature and experienced tokamak project, they're exploring the relatively unpopular stellarator device. This is a common problem for young researchers working on projects. Do they just act on impulse? Is the government really going to let this massive project go to waste? Has the higher-ups forgotten Lingyun's failure?
Some of the more impatient ones were about to blurt out their thoughts, only to be stopped by their more rational and sensitive companions. However, the room was completely silent at that moment, and almost questioning gazes were once again focused on Wu Tong. If they couldn't give them a sufficient reason to stand firm, if they couldn't convince them, the project would probably be over. They absolutely would not accompany young people in their mischief and make fun of their lifelong pursuits!
"I know that the tokamak has been a long-standing research topic for everyone, so it's perfectly normal for you to have doubts about me. However, as fusion scientists, you, the seniors, should all be aware of the superiority of the stellarator! Or, perhaps I'll ask you a question without further ado, do you think it's possible to successfully develop the tokamak and perfect the ignition of the demonstration reactor?"
The question posed further silenced the audience. Professional matters are, in fact, best understood by professionals. While ITRE is widely praised both domestically and internationally, and domestic media outlets have also hailed every achievement of EAST, it seems as if the realization of controlled nuclear fusion is just around the corner...
However, the academicians and scholars who are actually working in this field are relatively more cautious.
Because many things may seem exciting to outsiders, but to experts, they can't even be considered as phased achievements. They have long since stopped expressing their sorrow. Some people lament that the tokamak device, which has been measured in seconds for many years, may be a dead end.
"Mr. Wu, are you more optimistic about the stellarator device?" After a long silence, Academician He from the Southwest Research Institute spoke first. He had received a subtle reminder from his teacher that the person in charge of this fusion project might exceed his expectations. However, the teacher told him that he should trust his superiors and that they would not joke about such a serious matter. When necessary, he must represent and support the decision of the superiors.
Only now did he truly understand the reason behind his teacher's advice. First, the project leader was beyond common expectations. Second, the choice of engineering project supported by the higher-ups was even more unexpected. They were actually abandoning the tokamak they had been working on for years in favor of a stellarator!
This meant that the higher-ups had abandoned their previously substantial investment in scientific research, even at the expense of sunk costs! With such reckless support, did they also believe in the stellarator device? Or perhaps, more so, in Wu Tong, the man who proposed it? With such unwavering support from the higher-ups, Mr. Wu's influence might be even greater than he imagined!
Therefore, when Academician He asked this question, he already used a respectful title, placing Wu Tong on the same level as them. Although Wu Tong was young, he was indeed on equal footing with them. As a newly elected member of the Academy of Sciences this year, to be frank, Wu Tong's weight in the mathematical community was even greater than theirs.
Academician He was not the only one who thought of this. Those with keen sense of smell and quick reaction all had similar thoughts in their minds at this moment. Several familiar masters exchanged glances with each other, and then turned their inquiring gazes to Wu Tong again.