kstar

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  • KSTAR superconducting fusion device, aka the 'artificial sun'

    Fusion energy device sets a record by running for 20 seconds

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    12.27.2020

    A Korean fusion device has set a record by running for 20 seconds at 180 million degrees.

  • Seokyong Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Fusion reactor endurance record hints at our energy future

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    12.19.2016

    Wondering why a fusion reactor isn't powering your home right now? There are numerous reasons, but one of the biggest is simply keeping the necessary super-hot plasma in an ideal state for energy generation -- it doesn't last that way for long. South Korea, however, just edged closer to that goal. The country's KSTAR (Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) reactor team claims to have set an endurance record for operating with "high performance" plasma. The feat only lasted for 70 seconds, but that's still a "huge step forward," according to the National Fusion Research Institute.