New French nuclear fusion record – 22 minutes – Wattwat?

Eric Worrall's paper

There is no doubt that nuclear fusion is only 20 years away, just like last time…

New record: Reactors cross 'key milestone' to achieve nuclear fusion

Technology February 22, 2025

French scientists announced Tuesday that they reached a “critical milestone” on the long road to nuclear fusion that has managed to maintain a record 22 minutes of frenzy plasma.

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The Sitokamak machine in southern France managed to maintain plasma for 1,337 seconds on February 12, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) said in a statement.

The CEA said it was a “smash” of the record set by China last month before.

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She added that the goal was to prepare for the International Thermal Nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) built by France.

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It was originally scheduled to go online this year, but repeated setbacks, delays and spiral costs have been delayed until at least 2033.

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Read more: https://www.sciencealert.com/new-record-reacortor-crosses-cucial-milestone-inchieving-naclear-fusion

What France announced is missing is how long the plasma must burn to produce a real energy return.

Besides stability, the biggest problem with fusion plasma is that the heat that is enhanced to millions of degrees does want to emit heat. ITER attempts to keep the heat of the plasma by making the plasma really large – taking advantage of the improved surface area to the volume ratio of larger objects. Heat generation is controlled by volume, while thermal radiation is affected by temperature and surface area.

It is also rare to mention that the radiation of the fused plasma tends to destroy its containment vessels. The radiation is so intense that even if contained, the continuous plasma can cause rapid mechanical damage to the containment container, resulting in rapid structural failure. Solves that may require exotic self-healing ceramic alloys or techniques that have not yet been invented.

At least one government does not allow such obstacles to curb its own optimism. They are so confident that in 2023 they began building on the first commercial UK fusion reactor, promising that local voter fusion reactors will provide jobs and economic prosperity by 2040.