Tests on Super-X divertor increase viability of nuclear fusion

Initial results from UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)’s new ‘MAST Upgrade’ experiment at Culham have demonstrated the effectiveness of the so-called Super-X divertor, an exhaust system that will allow components in future commercial tokamaks to last longer and bring costs down.

First plasma for Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak Upgrade

Fusion power: breeder blankets and diverter technologies put to the test

Inside a tokamak fusion reactor, light atomic nuclei are fused together to form larger ones, releasing a huge amount of energy in the process. This is achieved by confining plasma within a magnetic field and then heating it to temperatures of around 150 million degrees Celsius. The hot fusion plasma exhaust is then passed through a divertor to allow it to dissipate some of this excess heat.

Seven months of tests are said to shown at least a tenfold reduction in the heat on materials with the Super-X system.