“EAST was designed to be a controlled nuclear fusion tokamark reactor with superconductive toroidal and poloidal field magnets and a D-shaped cross-section. One of the experimental goals of this device was to prove that a nuclear fusion reaction can be sustained indefinitely, at high enough temperatures, to produce energy in a cost-effective way. In 2009, IIP successfully maintained a 10 million degree Celsius plasma nuclear fusion reaction for 400 seconds. IIP also successfully maintained a 100 million degree Celsius plasma nuclear fusion reaction for 60 seconds. One of IIP’s immediate goals is now to maintain a 100 million degree Celsius plasma nuclear fusion reaction for over 400 seconds. Currently, IIP is also conducting research into hybrid fusion-fission nuclear reactors that may be able to sustain nuclear reactions indefinitely, and at sufficient temperatures, to cost-effectively produce energy.”

http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2010/02/10BEIJING263.html

That info is available on Wikipedia as well as wikileaks.  EAST is a part of the ITER endeavor - they all collaborate.  There are other tokamak devices throughout the world, such as JET, the Joint European Torus, a Tokamak in Culham, UK.  And Japan’s JT.  Several here in the US.  We need a map.  They all work on various facets of the larger ITER goal.

As to how good EAST is, I’m sure it’s a great experimental device.  400s and 10 million degrees - don’t know what that means for a tokamak.  The goal of a 400 second burn at 100 million degrees, isn’t that a key benchmark for tokamaks? 

We need a handy table to lay out some of the goals and benchmarks for each of these devices and how they have divided up the work of pursuing net energy.  It’s really an amazing international collaboration when you think about it.

The cable is missing one essential number—density, or alternatively, fusion yield. To know how they are doing, you always need more than just temperature and confinement time. Somoone could probably find that on the web.

Here is the latest newsletter about this unit. You need the latest Adobe Reader to open it.  ASIPP Newsletter

Lerner - 06 December 2010 07:23 AM

The cable is missing one essential number—density, or alternatively, fusion yield. To know how they are doing, you always need more than just temperature and confinement time. Somoone could probably find that on the web.

That newsletter gives line averaged density, ne = 2x10^19/m^3 .