The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research ( KSTAR ) equipment has been discover records for free burning nuclear nuclear fusion reaction for a while . And now , the gimmick has shown that it can keep the super raging plasma going with less instability and with fewer impurities , two major hurdles in the construction of a commercial-grade atomic nuclear fusion reaction power plant .

The researchers function with KSTAR extend to the goal of 100 million ° C ( 180 million ° F ) plasma endure for 20 seconds at theend of 2020 . Over the last year and a bit , they have been work to extend the duration but also to make better plasma . As cover inNature , they can now do this with no boundary instabilities or impurity accumulation . This is a bragging stack as both sham the seniority of the reactor and the plasm within it .

“ atomic nuclear fusion is one of the most attractive alternative to carbon - dependent vim sources . rein in Department of Energy from atomic fusion in a enceinte reactor scale , however , still presents many scientific challenges despite the many years of research and firm advance in magnetic travail approaching , ” the team write in the paper . “ State - of - the - artistry magnetised unification devices can not yet attain a sustainable fusion performance , which need a high temperature above 100   million kelvin and sufficient control of unstableness to ensure firm - country operation on the order of tens of seconds . ”

Nuclear fusion is make by simulate what ’s happening at the nerve centre of the Sun . Atoms of atomic number 1 are fused together to make helium and bring forth a destiny of zip and fast neutron . These fast neutrons , freed by the reaction , hit the reactor wall , creating heat that can be harnessed for electricity production .

But the plasm want temperatures much higher than the centre of the Sun because it is not being compressed by somberness . The plasma also need to be comprise by strong magnetic fields . Doing that at a high temperature for a long clip is easier pronounce than done .

The innovation of this body of work comes from the containment approach . The team discusses how they combined two different previously - institute confinement methods for the plasm in a apt way , draw the benefits of each and reaching temperature 20 million ° C ( 36 million ° F ) high .

The breakthrough could be employed in ITER , the full - exfoliation nuclear coalition nuclear reactor being built in France . The international collaboration bear ITER to demonstrate how a commercial fusion powerplant will work , pave the agency for this zip gyration .

you could learn more about ITER in our podcast aboutachieving unlimited energy .