The tokamak device "HH70" built by Energy Singularity was successfully ignited, marking a step forward for Shanghai's future energy industry
"China May Welcome the 'First Kilowatt-Hour' of Controlled Nuclear Fusion by 2035"
Source: Liberation Daily Author: Li Ye Date: 2024-11-30
Reporter Li Ye This is a millisecond-level process - inside the tokamak device "HH70" used to achieve controlled nuclear fusion reactions, it was completely dark, then suddenly neutral gas excited a toroidal plasma, and the sun-like brilliance instantly illuminated the cavity. This proves that this ultra-complex device containing 9 subsystems and more than 30 sub-subsystems successfully discharged according to preset conditions. This also means that Shanghai's early deployment of the future energy industry is one step closer to certainty. But the recently successfully ignited "HH70" is only the first step. Next, Shanghai's fusion energy commercial company Energy Singularity will build "HH170" with a Q value (energy gain target) greater than 10 to prove the commercial feasibility of fusion energy; then build "HH380" to achieve demonstration fusion power generation. "By 2035, China may welcome the first kilowatt-hour of electricity from controlled nuclear fusion," said Yang Zhao, founder and CEO of Energy Singularity. Independent Verification of a New Technical Route Nuclear fusion refers to the process in which light atomic nuclei such as deuterium and tritium combine to form heavier atomic nuclei such as helium and release enormous energy. Because fusion raw materials are unlimited and fusion products are not radioactive, it is expected to "lead humanity into energy freedom." Superconducting materials refer to materials whose resistance becomes zero and have complete diamagnetism at extremely low temperatures. Using superconducting materials to build tokamaks can significantly enhance magnetic fields. Superconductivity is divided into low-temperature and high-temperature, with critical temperatures below 40 Kelvin (-233°C) generally considered low-temperature superconducting, and those above 40 Kelvin considered high-temperature superconducting. Globally, more than 100 tokamak devices have been built, but currently only 4 full superconducting devices are in operation. Energy Singularity's independently developed "HH70" is the only tokamak built entirely with high-temperature superconducting materials. For low-temperature superconducting tokamaks, the world has 20 years of R&D experience, with relatively mature processes, but the devices are huge. For example, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction is 30 meters high and 28 meters in diameter. The reason Energy Singularity bypassed "low temperature" to choose "high temperature" is to reduce the volume and cost of tokamaks by about 50 times and significantly shorten the construction cycle. But "high temperature" is a completely new technical route. If a tokamak is compared to a ship, it's like materials used in the past were all wood, but now we need to build a steel ship and prove it can still sail steadily. The United States is also challenging this new route. CFS, the company Energy Singularity benchmarks against, is the most funded company in the global fusion startup field to date. In 2022, it began building a high-temperature superconducting tokamak named SPARC, targeting a Q value greater than 10, planned for completion next year. Unlike SPARC's one-step approach, Energy Singularity chose a more prudent solution - building "HH70" in a relatively short time and at a relatively low cost first to verify the engineering feasibility of the "steel ship." There was no homework to copy from. In March 2022, "HH70" started design. Energy Singularity overcame numerous challenges, including exploring processes for winding, insulating, impregnating, and assembling high-temperature superconducting magnets, ensuring that performance does not degrade after processing high-temperature superconducting tapes into magnets, as well as preparing high-temperature superconducting magnet joints with resistance values at the nano-ohm level, and independently developing central control systems for operating high-temperature superconducting tokamaks. "HH70" cost 150 million yuan and was completed within two years. This is the world record for the fastest R&D and construction of a full superconducting tokamak. Continued on Page 4 (Continued from Page 1) Shanghai's Advantages Provide "Primordial Power" Why so fast? Yang Zhao said: Because Shanghai provided "primordial power." Shanghai's advantages in the nuclear power field allowed Energy Singularity to quickly build a "circle of friends." The vacuum chamber, cold shield and other key equipment of the main system of "HH70" were provided by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group; tokamak assembly was handed over to China Nuclear Industry Fifth Construction Co., Ltd.; device environment and radiation safety assessment was handled by Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute. Superconducting tapes were also sourced locally, with "HH70" using high-performance superconducting magnet materials provided by Shanghai Superconductor Technology Co., Ltd. Here's a story - at the beginning of this century, when Shanghai tried to purchase core equipment materials from overseas superconducting industry leaders, the other party quoted sky-high prices, so Shanghai decided: everything must rely on ourselves. Over the past 20 years, the Municipal Economic and Information Commission, Municipal Science and Technology Commission and other departments have formed a relay, continuously providing support to the core technical teams of two innovation companies that emerged from campuses - Shanghai Creative Superconductor and Shanghai Superconductor - through major projects. At the same time, they encourage enterprises in key links such as superconducting materials, systems, and applications to form industrial alliances, creating a complete industrial chain from superconducting material research and production to product research, production, and application. At the end of 2021, the world's first kilometer-level high-temperature superconducting cable commercial demonstration section was successfully put into operation in Xuhui District. Every inch of this demonstration section is permeated with independent innovation, setting 5 world records. "Municipal and Lingang New Area departments have given strong support in talent introduction and enterprise settlement, including the construction and use of our 35kV substation at the Lingang base. You can imagine how much coordination work the government has done," Yang Zhao said. The key is that for this young startup team, Shanghai has given patience and honors. The company was only established in June 2021, but when the Shanghai Future Industry Advanced Nuclear Energy Expert Committee was established in March 2023, Energy Singularity was the only startup among the 5 deputy director units. In addition, Shanghai's talent attraction is also amazing. Yang Zhao himself graduated from the Physics Department of Peking University and obtained a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Stanford University before choosing to start a business in Shanghai. The company's R&D and engineering team has rapidly grown from 4 people at startup to 130 people, including many outstanding talents from famous institutions such as Stanford, Princeton, Caltech, Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and University of Science and Technology of China. Shanghai's financing environment must also be mentioned. Less than 8 months after Energy Singularity's establishment, Shanghai-based game company miHoYo, together with NIO and others, led the angel round investment in Energy Singularity. In April last year, the company completed its Pre-A round of financing. The scale of the two rounds of financing was nearly 800 million yuan. "Looking back now, settling in Shanghai was a very correct decision," Yang Zhao said. Competing with American Counterparts on Size and Cost Energy Singularity dares not stop. The next-generation high-field high-temperature superconducting tokamak "HH170" has now entered the physics device stage. Engineering design will begin early next year, striving to...