Chapter 499: The First Step to the Sun

Although "checking" is just a word, in fact, it was three days after all the engineers of the STAR project team actually completed all the investigation work.

In the laboratory embedded in the mountain, all the staff of the STAR project team are guarding their respective posts in full readiness as they did three days ago.

Standing next to the computer in the control room, Lu Zhou looked down at the steel behemoth surrounded by dense coils through the floor-to-ceiling windows close at hand, and his chest was surging.

Soon, this reborn STAR device will conduct its first operational experiment.

For this moment, he has been waiting for half a year...

Walking to Lu Zhou's side, Sheng Xianfu took a deep breath, restrained the excitement in his voice and said, "The water-cooled divertor is operating normally...We can start the experiment."

Hearing Sheng Xianfu's report, Lu Zhou nodded.

"Let's begin then."

Sheng Xianfu straightened his back, full of energy.

"Yes!"

The first experiment will not be too troublesome, one does not involve ignition, and the other does not use hydrogen isotopes.

As for the goal of the experiment, it is also very simple, there are only two.

One is to confirm that the maximum magnetic field strength of the external field coil can break through the 50T limit of the calculated theoretical value, and the other is to ensure that the temperature reflecting the high-density plasma in the chamber can reach 100 million degrees Celsius.

As for the maintenance time, it doesn't need to be too long, one second is enough.

As the order to start the experiment was issued, the staff in the laboratory immediately became busy.

The switch of the liquid helium valve was opened, and the SG-1 wire quickly reached the superconducting transition temperature as expected.

Accompanied by bursts of eardrum-piercing buzzing, the current passing through the superconducting coil in the outer field began to amplify gradually, approaching the superconducting critical current of the SG-1 wire.

Seeing that the magnetic field strength value fed back on the computer screen continued to rise, and finally stopped at the maximum value of [51.14T], Lu Zhou's mouth raised a smile.

51.14T!

Helix 7-X.

The strength of the magnetic field that confines the plasma is the key to solving the problem of controllable nuclear fusion. It is possible to achieve a magnetic confinement of more than 50T in engineering, and they have undoubtedly completed this piece of the puzzle.

The first experimental goal was successfully achieved!

Seeing the joyful look on Sheng Xianfu's face, Lu Zhou nodded to him.

"Start the next experiment!"

Sheng Xianfu immediately said: "Understood!"

Among the coils wound on the streamlined track, in addition to those superconducting coils fixed by irregularly shaped blue insulating brackets, about 20% of the non-superconducting external field coils are fixed under the red insulating brackets , which is mainly used to fine-tune the shape of the magnetic field inside the stellarator.

As the experiment entered the next stage, the current in the blue coil began to decrease, while the current in the opposite red coil continued to rise, adjusting the shape of the magnetic field inside the stellarator to the expected shape.

Looking at the constantly beating parameters on the computer screen, Lu Zhou ordered in a deep voice: "Inject helium!"

"Yes!"

Following this command, the catheter connected inside the stellarator injected 1 mg of helium into the cavity of the stellarator.

The helium gas that was injected at first quickly dispersed in the vacuum cavity, becoming extremely thin.

However, with the activation of the microwave heating device, the temperature in the cavity began to rise continuously, the plasma gradually formed, and was continuously squeezed by the magnetic field that bound it, and finally spread a thin layer of light in the streamlined cavity channel. The blue film vibrated slightly at a frequency invisible to the naked eye.

Working in their respective positions, whether they are engineers or researchers, everyone clenched their fists unconsciously.

At this moment, the STAR stellarator crawling in front of them, like a space monster biting, is brewing the most terrifying energy on this planet...

In fact, it is true, even the core of the earth is only 6800 degrees.

But at this moment, the temperature of the helium flowing in the orbit of the stellarator has exceeded the limit of hundreds of millions.

Although its mass is only 1 mg...

This short second is as long as a century.

Clenching his fists tightly, Sheng Xianfu's face was filled with excitement, and he kept chanting.

"We made it, we made it!"

Hearing his chanting voice, a smile appeared on Lu Zhou's face.

"Yeah, we did it!"

Although it is only a phased result, this result is still gratifying.

The next task is to solve the damage to the first wall material by plasma irradiation.

For fusion reactors, structural and functional materials will undergo severe swelling and embrittlement due to the accumulation of high-concentration irradiation defects and nuclear reaction products, resulting in an overall decline in the performance of core components and connecting structural materials.

A very vivid analogy is that the high-speed neutrons hit the closely packed atoms on the first wall like billiard balls, but the knocked-off atoms will not disappear, but go to other places in the material. Eventually, the atoms are continuously transferred from the center to the surface, and the material slowly expands like a hollow foam.

At present, the academic community has not found a suitable method to solve this problem.

Regarding this topic, Lu Zhou dare not say that he is fully sure, but he has some ideas in his heart.

Of course, in addition to the key inner wall materials, there is also a crucial control system, which is the "brain" of the controllable nuclear fusion device.

However, compared to the troubles in the previous material science, this aspect is relatively easy to solve.

After all, supercomputing can be solved as long as you have money.

However, it seems that some funds are needed again...

The microwave heating is switched off.

The current in the superconducting coil gradually decreases.

The temperature of the plasma begins to cool...

As the "steel behemoth" stopped its growl, the whole experiment finally came to a successful conclusion.

When all this was over, the cheers that had been suppressed for a long time finally resounded in the laboratory.

Many people even burst into tears with excitement.

In order to celebrate this hard-won success, and to reward everyone for their tireless efforts over the past few months, at the suggestion of several young researchers, Lu Zhou announced in front of everyone that a celebration banquet will be held at the Purple Mountain Hotel in the evening.

Of course, the money was paid by him personally and has nothing to do with funding.

After the experiment was over, the on-site engineers began to overhaul and maintain the equipment. After Lu Zhou handed over the site to Sheng Xianfu, he took off his white coat and turned to leave the laboratory embedded in the mountain.

The moment he stepped out of the tunnel entrance, a ray of sunlight fell on his face through the treetops.

He squinted his eyes because of the light outside, and Lu Zhou vaguely seemed to see something.

In this trance, the light blue dialogue box that had been silent for a long time floated out of his field of vision without any warning.

["Fusion Light" task chain]

[Optional branch line: 50T superconducting magnet (completed)]

[Optional Branch: First Ignition (Completed)]

When he saw the two dialogue boxes clearly, Lu Zhou was slightly stunned, and then a trace of excitement appeared on his face.

Complete two tasks at the same time.

For him, this is really an unprecedented experience.