The final piece of the "most powerful" magnet worldwide is installed on the Iter nuclear reactor.
Celebrating a "Game-Changer": The world's strongest magnet for nuclear fusion has just taken a major leap forward. On Wednesday, April 30, the international collaboration behind ITER announced that the final piece of the world's most potent magnet has been completed. Alain Bécoulet, the project's scientific director, was ecstatic, telling AFP, "The entire Iter magnet is now manufactured!"
ITER aims to harness the energy produced by the fusion of hydrogen isotopes, much like what happens in the hearts of stars. This clean, safe, economical, and virtually unending energy source requires extreme temperatures (around 150 million degrees Celsius) and severe magnetic fields to create and maintain the plasma, a hot, electrically charged gas.
The reactor's heart is the intricate magnetic system, which consists of several sets of electromagnetic coils. The latest addition to this complex system is the Central Solenoid, one of the six modules that make up this mighty magnet. Built in the United States, this 1,000-ton, 18-meter-tall marvel will be the world's most powerful superconducting magnet once fully assembled in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance (Bouches-du-Rhône). It will generate a magnetic field of 13 teslas, 280,000 times stronger than Earth's own field. Incredibly, it could potentially lift an aircraft carrier out of the water!
Although the construction of the Tokamak, the reactor itself, is not yet complete, this milestone is a significant step forward. Since its official launch in 2006, ITER has faced considerable delays and a budget overrun of approximately 5 billion euros, as revealed last summer. The initial goal of achieving the first plasma production for this year has been pushed back to at least 2033.
Engineering Marvel and Global Cooperation
The Central Solenoid was constructed with the cooperation of numerous nations, including contributions from the USA, Russia, Europe, and China. Once combined, its support structure withstands forces equivalent to twice a space shuttle launch's thrust, demonstrating the pinnacle of engineering ingenuity. The completion of the Central Solenoid, along with the Poloidal Field magnets, fulfills 100% of ITER's construction targets, with India providing crucial cryostat cooling systems.
When operational, ITER is expected to produce 500 megawatts of fusion power using just 50 megawatts of heating input—a tenfold energy gain. This milestone would validate fusion as a carbon-free energy source, as it mimics the reactions that combine hydrogen isotopes (deuterium and tritium) to form helium, producing energy without leaving behind long-lived radioactive waste. The Central Solenoid's ability to sustain 15-megaampere plasma currents for minutes ensures stable reaction conditions necessary for sustained energy production.
This achievement speeds up progress towards a functional fusion reactor, potentially unlocking boundless energy from seawater-derived fuel.
- The Central Solenoid, a marvel built with international cooperation from countries like the USA, Russia, Europe, and China, is set to become the world's most powerful superconducting magnet once assembled in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance.
- This 1,000-ton, 18-meter-tall complex system component, when fully assembled, will generate a magnetic field of 13 teslas, 280,000 times stronger than Earth's own field, a testament to general-news advancements in technology.
- The Central Solenoid's ability to sustain 15-megaampere plasma currents for minutes is crucial for maintaining stable reaction conditions, essential for the production of sustained fusion energy in ITER.
- The completion of the Central Solenoid, along with the Poloidal Field magnets, marks 100% fulfillment of ITER's construction targets, with India providing crucial cryostat cooling systems.
- When operational, ITER, powered by this remarkable French-built component, is expected to validate fusion as a carbon-free, safe, and economical energy source, contributing significantly to medical-conditions, science, and the overall well-being of the world, a true game-changer.
