Nuclear Energy: A closer look at China's new-generation 'artificial sun' HL-3 project
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Nuclear fusion is what powers all main sequence stars in the universe. And many scientists believe nuclear fusion energy is also the future energy for mankind. To achieve this ultimate energy, China has been actively participating in the global joint efforts, and the country's third generation such experimental device Huanliu-3 or HL-3 is operating in southwest China's Sichuan Province. CGTN's Zheng Yibing takes you a closer look there.

Scientists are attempting to achieve controlled nuclear fusion to provide an ultimate solution to the need for energy.

ZHENG YIBING Chengdu, Sichuan Province "For achieving the goal of making the artificial sun in the future, the scientists around the world are making the great efforts. In southwestern part of China, there is the giant experimental device. It is called the HL-3. For the first time ever, I got a chance to get so close to this fusion experimental device, so I'm gonna climb to the top of it."

I talked to the operator of this experimental device.

LI BO Operator of HL-3, Southwestern Institute of Physics China National Nuclear Corporation "We should say that it is the largest advanced Tokamak device with highest parameters in China. Its ion temperature can reach 150 million degrees Celsius. Since its completion in 2020, its operation parameters have made a series of major progress, and the plasma current has exceeded one million amperes."

ZHENG YIBING Chengdu, Sichuan Province "This big hall is a main control room for this fusion experimental device. Now the personnel here are in position. They were conducting an experiment. On the big screen, we can see the footage on what is going on inside this device right now."

LI BO HL-3 operator, Southwestern Institute of Physics China National Nuclear Corporation "Every day we will do engineering, debugging first, because the operation of the whole device requires dozens of and even hundreds of systems, to be able to operate efficiently at the same time. In the future, our device will gradually move to the level of core parameter operation, which can lay a very solid foundation for us to participate in the physics experiment of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project in the next step."

The "artificial sun" has gone through decades of research and development. The process may be long but people like Li Bo believe it will eventually help find an ultimate solution for energy needs. Zheng Yibing, CGTN, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.