[Preview of the Weekly] New Progress in Controlled Nuclear Fusion: How Far Are We from Practical Artificial Suns? (AI Translation)
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- Controlled nuclear fusion technology, often dubbed 'artificial sun,' is advancing towards commercial viability with significant investments and research in China and globally.
- Chinese company Shaanxi Xinghuan Fusion Energy Technology Co. (Xinghuan Fusion) aims for commercial fusion power by 2032, while other similar projects are underway in Shanghai, Hefei, and Langfang.
- The field faces technical challenges such as sustaining plasma at high temperatures, fuel replenishment, material endurance under extreme conditions, and efficient energy conversion to electricity.
文｜财新周刊 张而弛 覃敏
By Caixin Weekly's Zhang Erchi, Tan Min
常存在于科幻小说中的人类终极能源——“人造太阳”，也就是可控核聚变技术，正加快进入现实世界。
The ultimate energy source for humanity often found in science fiction—the "artificial sun," or controlled nuclear fusion technology, is rapidly becoming a reality.
在西安城北，一座10米高的乳黄色厂房中，一颗大型球形装置拔地而起。2024年一季度，该装置计划首次将内部加热到1700万摄氏度，超过太阳核心1500万摄氏度的高温。打造这颗“人造太阳”的公司——陕西星环聚能科技有限公司（下称“星环聚能”）成立于2021年10月，两年内拿到了超过6亿元风险投资，其理想化的目标是在2032年前后实现可控核聚变技术的商业化发电。
In the northern part of Xi'an city, a creamy-yellow factory building, 10 meters tall, houses a large spherical device that rises from the ground. In the first quarter of 2024, this device is scheduled to heat its interior to 17 million degrees Celsius for the first time, surpassing the sun's core temperature of 15 million degrees Celsius. The company behind this "artificial sun," Shaanxi Xinghuan JuNeng Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xinghuan JuNeng"), was established in October 2021. Within two years, it has secured over 600 million yuan in venture capital investment. Its ambitious goal is to commercialize controlled nuclear fusion technology for power generation by around 2032.
在上海、安徽合肥和河北廊坊等地，类似的“人造太阳”实验装置正被一个个建造起来。“可控核聚变可能是能源领域最重要的一次革命，这与信息领域的量子计算或人工智能革命是一样的。”星环聚能天使轮投资者、中科创星创始合伙人米磊对财新称，无论碳中和还是人工智能（AI）大模型，人类对电力的需求日益膨胀，可控核聚变也须提上日程。
In locations such as Shanghai, Hefei in Anhui Province, and Langfang in Hebei Province, similar "artificial sun" experimental devices are being constructed one after another. "Controlled nuclear fusion could be the most important revolution in the energy sector, akin to the quantum computing or artificial intelligence revolutions in the information field," Mi Lei, angel investor of Xinghuan Juyuan and founding partner at Zhongke Chuangxing, told Caixin. Whether it's carbon neutrality or large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) models, humanity's demand for electricity is expanding daily, making controlled nuclear fusion an increasingly urgent priority on the agenda.
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