Challenge for Developing Plasma Operation Scenarios of Korea's Artificial Sun

Korea Institute of Fusion Energy 'K-Star' Accelerates Securing High-Performance Plasma Operation Technology

KSTAR of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy. Photo by Korea Institute of Fusion Energy

As competition intensifies to secure large amounts of electricity in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the field of nuclear fusion is receiving great expectations as a clean energy source. In Korea, the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy's (KFE) ‘K-STAR,’ known as the artificial sun, has declared its participation in the competition by embarking on a full-scale challenge to develop high-performance plasma operation scenarios at an early stage.

The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (Director Oh Young-guk) recently began plasma experiments to secure high-temperature, high-density, and high-current plasma operation technology in a tungsten divertor environment.

Currently, efforts and competition to accelerate the realization of fusion energy are fierce, centered around the United States, Japan, and China. Governments of each country are also moving from international cooperation to self-reliance challenges to realize fusion energy. Accordingly, Korea announced a fusion energy acceleration strategy last July and has started steps toward the early realization of fusion energy.

The fusion device ‘K-STAR,’ developed with domestic technology by the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, demonstrated its excellence last year based on the replacement of the tungsten divertor and stable performance verification of superconducting magnets. It is also recognized as a device equipped with the foundation to secure operation technology for fusion demonstration reactors by announcing world-class achievements in long-duration operation of high-performance plasma.

However, to artificially realize the ultra-high-temperature plasma phenomenon where fusion occurs at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, equivalent to the sun’s temperature, the development of plasma operation scenarios necessary for the operation of fusion demonstration reactors that will actually produce fusion electricity is an urgent task.

This year, K-STAR has entered plasma physics experiments to secure plasma operation scenarios for fusion demonstration reactors until February next year. Research on high-performance scenarios that can achieve high confinement performance under high-temperature, high-density, and high-current conditions, as well as technology research to suppress various instability phenomena that interfere with the high-performance plasma environment, is expected to expand further.

In particular, through performance inspection of the tungsten divertor and strengthening of inner wall research, research on tungsten impurity control applicable to the demonstration reactor environment will be focused.

Tungsten is suitable as an inner wall material for fusion reactors due to its heat-resistant properties. However, tungsten impurities generated during operation have the disadvantage of degrading plasma performance and stability. For the operation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and fusion demonstration reactors, which plan to use the same tungsten material, tungsten impurity treatment is considered one of the most important research topics.

Accordingly, experiments to verify various methods such as suppression of tungsten impurity generation, tungsten impurity defense through magnetic field control, and impurity removal using heating devices will be conducted. Joint experiments on more than 40 topics contributing to solving fusion challenges will also be promoted together with the United States, France, Japan, China, and others.

Oh Young-guk, director of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, said, "The role of K-STAR will become even more important in order to secure fusion demonstration reactor operation scenarios early," adding, "We plan to solve technical challenges in the tungsten environment and further create an environment capable of conducting more leading research through additional device upgrades."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.