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JET’s final tritium experiments yield new fusion energy record

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JET interior with superimposed plasma. Photo credit: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority / EUROfusion)

The Joint European Torus (JET) has demonstrated the ability to reliably generate fusion energy whilst simultaneously setting a world-record in energy output.

The Joint European Torus (JET), one of the world’s largest and most powerful fusion machines, has demonstrated the ability to reliably generate fusion energy, whilst simultaneously setting a world-record in energy output.

These notable accomplishments represent a significant milestone in the field of fusion science and engineering.

In JET’s final deuterium-tritium experiments (DTE3), high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds, resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules using a mere 0.2 milligrams of fuel.

JET is a tokamak, a design which uses powerful magnetic fields to confine a plasma in the shape of a doughnut. Most approaches to creating commercial fusion favour the use of two hydrogen variants – deuterium and tritium. When deuterium and tritium fuse together they produce helium and vast amounts of energy, a reaction that will form the basis of future fusion powerplants.

Read the complete news release from the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

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