Specialists from the National Research Center (NRC) "Kurchatov Institute" have announced a new achievement in the operation of the modernized T-15MD tokamak. During experiments, a plasma discharge with a current of 500 kA was obtained, which is almost double the previous record of 260 kA, set in December 2023.
We managed to reach qualitatively new modes, advance into the region of plasma currents exceeding 500 kA. At the same time, the operating range of magnetic fields changed: we began to routinely work with a toroidal magnetic field of 1.5 Tesla. In 2023, the operating ranges of magnetic fields were 1.1-1.2 Tesla
The T-15MD tokamak, commissioned in 2021, combines compact size with high power, unparalleled in the world. During the energy start-up phase in March 2023, the facility generated plasma with a temperature of 1 million degrees at a pulse of 100 milliseconds, consuming 30 MW of power.
Among the key results of 2024 is the obtaining of plasma with an elongated cross-section (elongation parameter >1.5) with confinement for almost a second. This opens the way to increasing plasma currents by 2-3 times. In addition, for the first time, it was possible to form a divertor configuration of the magnetic field, which is critical for reducing impurities and energy loads on the reactor walls.
The successes of the Kurchatov Institute in plasma control strengthen Russia's position in the global race for thermonuclear fusion. The T-15MD tokamak, demonstrating unique parameters, brings closer the creation of a commercial reactor capable of providing humanity with virtually inexhaustible energy. The next step will be to achieve thermonuclear plasma parameters, where the optimization of magnetic configurations and scaling of technologies will play a key role.
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