What would you see if you dismantled 300 nuclear power plants?

2022

The world's first artificial nuclear reactor

80th Anniversary

This article was specially produced by Planet Research Institute

I hope this answers your questions about nuclear energy.

Since the birth of mankind

We have never stopped exploring energy.

Coal, oil, natural gas, solar energy, wind energy

The bottom line

Energy used by humans

Almost all from the sun

(Offshore wind farm at sunrise, photographed at Haiwangjiu Island, Dalian, Liaoning, photographer @NoOneXiaodong)

▼

However, there is one exception

It is truly mastered by humans independently

Great technology for producing energy

It's so great

Even the sun itself can be created

It is

nuclear energy

(The controlled nuclear fusion device can produce the same nuclear fusion reaction as the sun, also known as the "artificial sun", map by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

Some people admire it

Run for it

Some people fear it

Almost pale at the mention of

Looking at the entire history of energy

No energy source is more efficient than this

But it seems that no energy source can be more "dangerous" than it

(On April 24, 2010, according to media reports, a total of 120,000 people participated in an "anti-nuclear" march near the Brokdorf nuclear power plant in Germany, and the line was 120 kilometers long. Image source: @People's Vision)

▼

Actually

Most people don't understand it

One-sided cognition

This has created such a contradictory reality today.

So

What is the true face of nuclear energy?

In order to utilize this energy

What have we all been through?

01

First acquaintance

1945

Accompanied by a loud bang

A mushroom cloud ten thousand meters high rose into the sky

Hiroshima, Japan, was instantly reduced to a sea of ​​fire

The first atomic bomb used in actual combat is detonated

nuclear energy

For the first time, it showed the world its unparalleled power.

(The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, creating a huge mushroom cloud, image source @Wikimedia Commons)

▼

The energy released by this atomic bomb

Equivalent to a magnitude 6 earthquake

Buildings within 7 kilometers of the explosion center were severely damaged.

The casualties rate was as high as 53%.

But among them

Less than 1 kg of fuel reacted

This special fuel

It's called "uranium"

(Uranium element and uranium ore, picture source @Visual China, map @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

From the beginning of the earth

Uranium has already been formed

It combines with various elements to form minerals

Often presents brilliant colors

Therefore, it was even used as a dye at one time

Used to make exquisite utensils

(Uranium glass products from the 19th century, image source @Visual China, map @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

However

Beneath the beautiful exterior

There is another invisible "color"

It was not discovered until 1896.

As the heaviest element in nature

Uranium atoms are not stable

Its nucleus will automatically transform into another

Smaller, more stable nuclei

This process is called "decay"

The decay releases heat and various radiation

Therefore, this property is also called "radioactivity".

Compared to releasing radiation

Transformation between different elements through decay

For humans who want to "turn stone into gold"

Clearly more attractive

However

The time it takes for the number of atoms to decay by half

The so-called "half-life"

Hundreds of millions of years

Turning stones into gold on a large scale through natural decay alone

Still an unrealistic dream

(Uranium 235 decay and half-life of some elements, map by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

People have to find other ways

Complete the transformation of atoms

The most commonly used

Using a tiny particle that makes up the nucleus of an atom

neutron

As a "cannonball" to bombard atomic nuclei

Splits it into two new nuclei

Achieving "fission"

More importantly

It also brought us an unexpected "surprise"

After fission, the mass of the nucleus decreases

As Einstein's mass-energy equation reveals,

This reduced mass is directly converted into energy

(Diagram of nuclear fission reaction, drawn by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

In this famous equation

Since the speed of light is very large

Therefore, even a small change in quality

It also generates huge energy

This is undoubtedly an exciting discovery.

It means

If people could harness this energy

Then only a few hundred tons of nuclear fuel are needed

It can generate enough electricity to meet Beijing's annual electricity consumption.

(Comparison of low-enriched uranium and other fuels required to supply Beijing's annual electricity consumption. This is estimated based on Beijing's annual electricity consumption of 114 billion kWh in 2020. Map by @罗梓涵/星球研究院)

▼

This is the development of human energy

Pointing out a new direction

Humanity can finally get rid of

combustion

This method of obtaining energy by disassembling and assembling chemical bonds

Actually touching the nucleus itself

Entering the realm of directly exchanging mass for energy

The Atomic Age

Not only that

Nuclear energy is not affected by weather and seasons

The release process does not produce any greenhouse gases

It will not emit smoke and dust to pollute the environment

It can be said to be an ideal clean energy

(Zhejiang Qinshan Second Nuclear Power Plant, also commonly known as Qinshan Phase II, photographer @邵帅/CNNC)

▼

but

The nucleus of an atom cannot be seen or touched.

To tame it

How easy is that?

02

Domestication

Actually

Long before the atomic bomb

Humans were the first to build

The first device to achieve controlled nuclear fission reaction

nuclear reactor

Although its initial power is only 0.5 watts

Not even enough to light a household light

But it is

It opened a new era of human control over nuclear energy

Afterwards

Various types of nuclear reactors were built one after another

The power generation is also increasing

First generation nuclear power plants

Officially entering the energy arena

nuclear energy

It has entered thousands of households in the form of electricity

(Unit 1 of the Chinon Nuclear Power Plant in France was built in 1963 and shut down in 1973. It has now been developed into a museum. Unless otherwise specified, the construction time of the nuclear power plant mentioned in this article refers to the time when the first unit of the nuclear power plant was officially connected to the grid for power generation)

for example

The world's first nuclear power plant was built in 1954

Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, Soviet Union

Its power generation capacity is only 5000 kilowatts.

It can only support the operation of a few factories

Shiping Harbor Nuclear Power Plant

The power generation capacity was increased to 60,000 kilowatts

It can meet the electricity needs of about 60,000 people.

Cape Douglas Nuclear Power Plant, Canada

The power generation capacity is as high as 200,000 kilowatts

Enough to provide comprehensive protection for the operation of a small city

(Distribution diagram of nuclear power plants in the world. The first generation of nuclear power plants have basically been shut down permanently. Most of the 187 nuclear power plants currently in operation were built after 1970. Together with the 103 nuclear power plants that have been permanently shut down and the 15 nuclear power plants under construction, there are now a total of 305 nuclear power plants in the world. Map by @郑艺/星球研究院)

▼

As an experimental technology

There are many types of first generation nuclear power plants

But in most cases

They all use high temperature steam

Drive the steam turbine to rotate

This drives the generator to generate electricity

It is similar to a conventional thermal power plant.

But the difference is

Thermal power plants use coal to heat water

In nuclear power plants

It uses the fission reaction of atomic nuclei

Provide enough heat

(Comparison of nuclear power and thermal power generation principles, map by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

In thermal power plants

To ensure the continuous burning of coal

Need plenty of air and high enough temperature

In a nuclear reactor

What is needed is a certain number of neutrons

People found

Some elements produce multiple neutrons when they undergo fission.

This will continue to cause other atomic fissions

It's called a chain reaction

Only such elements can be used as nuclear fuel

The most commonly used is a type of uranium

Uranium 235

(Chain reaction diagram, drawn by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

However

Compared to coal combustion

The burning of the nucleus is difficult

on the one hand

The number of neutrons required to initiate the reaction

Not too much, not too little

Otherwise, the reaction will be too violent or even explode.

Or too weak to "burn out"

Only when there is only one neutron participating in the next fission

The reaction will proceed steadily

then

People added

Control rod

It is made of materials that easily absorb neutrons

By adjusting the position of the control rod

can change the number of neutrons in a nuclear reactor

(Staff are installing the control rod drive mechanism, photographer @赖虔瑜/China General Nuclear Power Group)

▼

on the other hand

The speed of neutrons cannot be too fast.

Otherwise, it is easy to "brush past" the nucleus.

This reduces the reaction efficiency

then

People have added

Moderator

Using moderator atoms and neutrons to collide

This can slow down neutrons

To increase the chance of reaction with the nucleus

(Sketch of the internal structure of a nuclear reactor. The medium that carries away the heat generated by nuclear fission is called a coolant. The coolant and the moderator can be the same substance. For example, the water in the picture is both a moderator and a coolant. In addition, not all nuclear power plants require a moderator. Nuclear reactors that require a moderator are collectively called "thermal neutron reactors." Map by @郑伯蓉/星球研究院)

▼

It is more complicated than coal combustion.

The construction of nuclear power plants has also become more difficult.

As a pioneer in nuclear power generation

The first generation of nuclear power plants was very expensive

It can even reach 10 times that of a thermal power plant.

Until the late 1960s

With the advancement of technology

Nuclear power finally has the economic advantage over thermal power

More power, lower cost

Second generation nuclear power plants

Grand Debut

(The San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant in the United States was built in 1967, and the first unit was retired in 1992. Image source: @图虫创意)

▼

After the first generation of nuclear power plants flourished

There are only a few types of nuclear power plants

Stand out in the fierce market competition

for example

Simple structure and low cost

Boiling water reactor nuclear power plant

In this nuclear power plant

Steam that drives the generator

It is produced by the direct boiling of water flowing through a nuclear reactor.

But this will inevitably carry radioactive materials

This pollutes the entire circuit

Therefore, protection must be provided for all units

(Schematic diagram of a boiling water reactor nuclear power plant, drawn by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

Another example

Complex structure but safer and more reliable

Pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

This nuclear power plant

It has two water circuits at the same time

A stream flowing through a nuclear reactor

To provide heat

One flows to the power plant

Used to drive the steam turbine to rotate

In order to improve

Heat transfer efficiency between the two circuits

Water flowing through a nuclear reactor

High pressure was applied

This allows the water in it to flow at high temperatures

Still can stay liquid without boiling

Hence the name "pressurized water reactor"

(Schematic diagram of the pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant, where the primary circuit where the nuclear reactor is located is also called the "nuclear island", and the secondary circuit where the steam turbine is located is called the "conventional island", map by @罗梓涵/星球研究院)

▼

In this way

Compared with boiling water reactor nuclear power plants

Power plant of a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

Can be completely separated from the nuclear reactor

Isolate radioactive substances

Greatly reduces the difficulty of equipment maintenance

besides

Depending on the moderator and coolant

There are also heavy water reactors, graphite gas-cooled reactors, graphite boiling water reactors, etc.

Together, they form the large family of modern nuclear power plants.

(Classification of common nuclear power plants. This diagram only shows thermal neutron reactors that require moderators. Map by @罗梓涵/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

1970s

Two consecutive oil crises

The price advantage of nuclear power is becoming more and more obvious

Nuclear power plant construction has entered

The golden age of rapid development

In the United States

Total nuclear power installed capacity exceeds 60 million kilowatts

Accounting for 1/3 of the world

In Japan

Nuclear power generation has increased in just ten years

It has experienced a rapid growth of more than 11 times

In France

The share of nuclear power has increased from 8% before the first oil crisis to

It soared to nearly 50%.

(The data for the United States mentioned above are from 1983, while the data for Japan and France are from 1973 to 1983; the picture below shows the Cattenom nuclear power plant in eastern France, where the white gas is coming out of the cooling tower of the nuclear power plant. Inland nuclear power plants need to build cooling towers because they lack cold sources, while coastal nuclear power plants can be cooled by seawater, so they usually do not have cooling towers. Image source: @中国核电力电网)

▼

Numerous nuclear power plants

They have sprung up like mushrooms after rain

The spring of nuclear power seems to be coming

But at this moment

Two sudden disasters

Dragging nuclear power straight into the harsh winter

Nucleus

Have they really been domesticated by us?

03

out of control

Early morning of March 28, 1979

The company has been in operation for only 3 months.

Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in the United States

Suddenly the alarm sounded

Nuclear reactor's main water supply accidentally disconnected

Auxiliary water supply system that should have been put into operation

However, the maintenance personnel mistakenly closed the valve a few days ago.

This prevents cooling water from reaching the nuclear reactor.

The core temperature rises rapidly until it melts

(The Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in the United States was built in 1974. The accident occurred in Unit 2. The adjacent Unit 1 continued to work until it was decommissioned in 2019. Image source @Wikimedia Commons)

▼

This is the history of nuclear power

This is the first time such a serious accident has occurred.

Although there was no explosion

But about 50,000 people were evacuated

What makes people so anxious

It is the various rays produced by nuclear reactions

That is "radiation"

They can damage the molecular structure of the human body.

This can lead to organ damage or even death

Since radiation cannot be seen by the naked eye

Therefore, it was not taken seriously by humans at the beginning.

Marie Curie, who pioneered the theory of radioactivity

Due to long-term exposure to radioactive substances in the experiment

He eventually died of pernicious anemia caused by excessive radiation.

(Shenzhou 13 astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping are returning to the Tianhe core module. The astronauts are wearing thick space suits to protect themselves from radiation from the universe. The radiation mentioned in this article refers to ionizing radiation. Image source: @中国人工航空)

▼

As a large radiation source

If a nuclear power plant accident occurs

The consequences will be disastrous

But fortunately, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant

As a qualified pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

Have relatively complete security measures

first

There are three physical barriers from inside to outside

The first barrier

It is a metal tube that contains nuclear fuel.

It is made of high temperature and corrosion resistant zirconium alloy

To prevent nuclear fuel from coming into contact with cooling water

Leakage of radioactive material

(The following is the nuclear fuel assembly and its internal structure, photo by photographer @Guo Donghai/China National Nuclear Corporation)

▼

The second barrier

It is the pressure vessel and pipeline that wraps the core.

If the first barrier is breached

Radioactive materials can also be sealed in the circuit

(Pressure vessel installation at Jiangsu Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, photographer @伍家春/CNNC)

▼

The third barrier

It is the one that wraps all the reaction devices.

Concrete containment

Even if the core melts

It can also ensure that radioactive materials

Will not be released into the environment

(Guangdong Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant [Phase II] containment dome hoisting, photographer @赖虔瑜/China General Nuclear Power Group)

▼

besides

There are also automatic insertion of control rods and quick "brakes".

Emergency shutdown system

Automatically inject water into the core and quickly cool it down

Emergency core cooling system, etc.

Various safety control systems

Layers of defense for safe operation of nuclear power plants

(Sketch of three safety barriers of a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant, drawn by @罗梓涵/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

In the Three Mile Island accident

Just 8 seconds after the accident

These safety measures are activated one by one.

Although the first security barrier was breached

But the radioactive material leaked from

Basically locked in

The second barrier guarded by pressure vessels

The third barrier formed by the containment shell

Therefore, it does not have much impact on the environment

(Today's Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant and its surroundings, image source: @图虫创意)

▼

The accident turned out to be just a false alarm.

But it seems to be a wake-up call for mankind

But humans did not take this warning seriously.

Only seven years later

Carelessness brings crisis again

This time

Humans are not immune

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

It was once the largest nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union.

But in the spring of 1986

This "myth" was ruthlessly broken

(Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, photographed on September 29, 2015. After the accident that year, people used clay, borax and lead to seal the nuclear reactor, and built a metal and concrete structure outside, called a "sarcophagus". In the distance is a new "sarcophagus" under construction. Image source: @People's Vision)

▼

Cause of the accident

It's just a downtime for maintenance

Common tests performed

Because of previous experience

The experiment was not taken seriously.

A hastily drafted experimental plan

Even explicitly requesting

Disconnect part of the safety control system

The subsequent series of wrong operations

Coupled with the design flaws of the nuclear reactor itself

Let the nuclear power plant completely out of control

In just 4 seconds

The reactor power surged to 100 times the maximum value.

The metal tubes that contain the nuclear fuel melted

Rapid evaporation of cooling water

This led to a series of explosions

(Scene diagram of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident site, picture source @movie "Chernobyl")

▼

Worse

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant

Graphite boiling water reactor structure

There is no pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

The second and third barriers

The violent explosion blew the roof off

A large amount of radioactive material enters the atmosphere

Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by excessive radiation

The once prosperous city turned into a "hell" overnight

(Today, the desolate city around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the nuclear power plant wrapped in a new "sarcophagus" can be vaguely seen in the distance, picture source @图虫创意)

Two accidents happened in succession

Labeling nuclear power plants as dangerous

Strong "nuclear fear" and "anti-nuclear" sentiments

Nuclear power is in a difficult situation

(Changes in the number of nuclear power units worldwide from 1954 to 2020. It can be seen that after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the growth rate of the number of nuclear power units in the world did not slow down. It was not until after the Chernobyl nuclear accident that it decreased significantly. Map by @罗梓涵/星球研究院)

▼

But abandoning nuclear power is not an easy task

For example, in Sweden, where nuclear power accounts for almost half of the electricity generated

After shutting down nuclear power plants, only thermal power can be purchased from Denmark

To fill the huge power gap

nuclear power

Is there still a chance of success?

04

Rebirth

Since the Chernobyl accident

Graphite boiling water reactor has withdrawn from the stage of history

Countries around the world are implementing

A comprehensive investigation was conducted

The protection system has also been further upgraded

There was peace for more than 20 years.

Until 2011

A magnitude 9 earthquake

Breaking the peace of the Pacific

The tsunami caused by this was as high as 40 meters.

Tens of thousands of people died

(The city flooded by the tsunami after the 3.11 earthquake in Japan, picture source: @图虫创意)

▼

Affected by the earthquake

There was once the largest nuclear power plant in the world

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan

The double blow of earthquake and tsunami

All backup power sources at the nuclear power plant have failed.

The safety protection system cannot function.

Eventually causing a core melt

Large-scale leakage of radioactive material

(After the accident, a large number of water tanks for storing nuclear waste water were placed near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This photo was taken on April 8, 2021. The photo is from @Jilin-1 Wide-Format 01 Star/Changguang Satellite)

▼

In the face of natural disasters

Are we really helpless?

In fact

As early as the 1990s

People began to develop

Better safety and lower failure rate

And more power and longer life

Third generation nuclear power plants

Special plans are prepared for extreme events

(Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong, Unit 1 is the world's first EPR [European Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor] third-generation nuclear power unit with commercial operation conditions, photographer @周维欣/China General Nuclear Power Group)

▼

For example, set up an independent safety system in each circuit

Double containment as the third safety barrier

Or directly use energy-free

“Passive safety systems”

As long as we use natural phenomena such as gravity and convection

It can automatically cool down the nuclear reactor

Prevent core melt and radioactive material leakage

(Sketch of passive system, drawn by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

January 30, 2021

China's own third-generation nuclear power units

"Hualong One"

Officially put into commercial operation

my country has become the fourth

Countries that truly master third-generation nuclear power technology

As the current nuclear power market

One of the most accepted three-generation models

"Hualong One" is not only equipped with a double-layer containment

1.3m thick inner shell and 1.8m thick outer shell

Can resist both internal explosion and external impact

It is also equipped with advanced passive systems

Even if we encounter something like the Fukushima nuclear power plant

Extreme case where all backup power sources fail

Can also cope with

(Unit 5 of the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian, the world's first "Hualong One" unit, photographer @过东海/CNNC)

▼

today

China's Hualong One

Not only shines in the country

At the same time, we also went abroad

Becoming a new business card of Made in China

(Karachi Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan, the first overseas reactor of "Hualong One", photographer @王进杰/CNNC)

▼

Thirty years ago

China's first independently designed and built nuclear power plant

Zhejiang Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant

When the power generation was just started

Number of nuclear power plants worldwide

More than 400 units

In the absence of any precedent

Chinese nuclear industry people

Relying on the technical information on microfilm

Opening up the wilderness of China's nuclear power

(Please watch in horizontal screen, panoramic view of Qinshan Nuclear Power Base, including Qinshan Nuclear Power Station [also known as Qinshan Phase I], Qinshan Second Nuclear Power Station [also known as Qinshan Phase II], Qinshan Third Nuclear Power Station [also known as Qinshan Phase III] and Fangjiashan Nuclear Power Station, photographer @邵帅)

▼

From being almost completely dependent on imports

Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant

(Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, completed in 1993, is the first large-scale commercial nuclear power station with a capacity of one million kilowatts in mainland China. It was built using French nuclear island technology and British conventional island technology. Image source: @赖虔瑜/China General Nuclear Power Group)
▼

To the first large-scale nuclear power plant developed independently

Guangdong Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant (Phase II)

(Guangdong Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant [Phase II], completed in 2010, is the only nuclear power project started during my country's "12th Five-Year Plan" period. It is also my country's first million-kilowatt nuclear power plant that has been fully independently designed, built and operated. Photographer @赖虔瑜/China General Nuclear Power Group)

▼

Then to the third-generation nuclear power plant equipped with the "Hualong One" for the first time

Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant

(Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian and the offshore wind farm in the distance, as well as the locations of each unit, photographer @过东海/CNNC)

▼

now

17 nuclear power plants

A total of 52 units

In China, it formed

A special energy “coastline”

The current total power generation has ranked second in the world

(Distribution diagram of China's nuclear power plants. This map only shows the nuclear power units that have been put into operation in mainland China. Map by @郑艺/Planet Research Institute)

▼

but

Is this the end?

05

future

today

If you want to check

Marie Curie's notebook

You need to wear special protective clothing

Take it out of a special lead box

This is because the notebooks are still radioactive.

This radioactivity will continue for at least 1,500 years.

(Marie Curie's manuscript, image source @Wikimedia Commons, drawing @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

This is also the development of nuclear power to this day.

The biggest problem that remains

Nuclear waste

Although they are the remnants of nuclear fuel use

But it is still highly radioactive

For a long time

We can only go through complex processing

Bury it underground

Relying on the power of time to eliminate radiation

Although the third generation nuclear power plants

For possible leakage

Strict defense was carried out

But if we cannot fundamentally prevent accidents from happening

or reduce or even eliminate nuclear waste

The controversy over nuclear power plants will continue forever

then

This glorious and arduous mission was handed over to

The fourth generation nuclear power plant

December 20, 2021

The world's first fourth-generation commercial nuclear power unit

Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Shandong, China

Achieve grid-connected power generation

It adopts high temperature gas-cooled reactor structure

The probability of a nuclear leak is

zero

Because the fuel of this nuclear power plant

Enclosed in a sphere made of special material

Will not break even at temperatures up to 1600°C

This far exceeds

The highest temperature a nuclear reactor can reach

That is to say

This is a truly unbreakable barrier.

(Schematic diagram of the spherical fuel structure of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, drawn by @郑伯蓉/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

Another type of fourth-generation nuclear power plant

Fast neutron reactor nuclear power plant

This fundamentally reduces the generation of nuclear waste.

It uses plutonium 239 as fuel

Neutrons released during fission

It can turn the surrounding uranium 238 into plutonium 239 itself

In other words, nuclear fuel "burns more and more"

Nuclear waste will naturally decrease

Compared with traditional pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants

Fuel utilization can be increased to more than 60%

(Sketch of the "burning" process of a fast neutron reactor, drawn by @罗梓涵/Planetary Research Institute)
▼

also

The fourth generation nuclear power plants also have

Molten salt reactor, supercritical water-cooled reactor and other types

Although most of them are still in the experimental stage

But in the near future

Whether it is economy, safety or reliability

They will all be the most powerful competitors in the energy market

(Shandong Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Station is the world's first pebble bed modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power station and the world's first nuclear power station with the safety characteristics of the fourth-generation nuclear energy system. Image source: China Huadian)

▼

But this is not the cleanest energy technology

There is another nuclear reaction

Can truly achieve "zero waste"

It is what makes the sun burn

Nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion is the process of two lighter atomic nuclei joining together.

Combined into a heavier nucleus

Nuclei of equal mass

Energy released through fusion

Four times more than fission

And in this process

No dangerous radioactive substances are produced

(Diagram of nuclear fusion reaction, drawn by @Luo Zihan/Planetary Research Institute)

▼

But the realization of nuclear fusion

More difficult than nuclear fission

Heat to at least

100000000℃ or above

It could happen

Fusion weapons hydrogen bombs

Only relying on the high temperature generated by the atomic bomb explosion

Only then could it explode

(On June 17, 1967, my country's first hydrogen bomb was successfully tested in Lop Nur, Xinjiang, and the staff cheered with joy. Photo @People's Pictorial, Issue 6, 1967, "my country's First Hydrogen Bomb Exploded Successfully")

▼

How to confine atomic nuclei at hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius

And release this energy in a controllable and continuous manner

This is another challenge facing humanity.

On May 28, 2021

China's controlled nuclear fusion experimental device

The "artificial sun" in Hefei

All-Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)

For the first time, continuous "burning" for 101 seconds at 120 million degrees Celsius was achieved

Breaking the world record held by South Korea

Only half a year later

It has further improved the record of running at 70 million degrees Celsius to 1056 seconds.

Although the commercial application of nuclear fusion is still far away

But these records also mean

Humanity is close to the energy era of nuclear fusion

One step closer

(China's nuclear fusion experimental device, the top picture is the fully superconducting tokamak device [EAST] in Hefei, also known as the "Eastern Super Ring", the picture is from @People's Vision; the bottom picture is the Chinese Tokamak No. 2 M device [HL-2M] in Chengdu, which is currently the largest and most advanced tokamak device in my country, the photographer is @郑铁流/CNNC)

▼

Starting from scratch

To ups and downs

Then to the desperate situation

Humankind's Path to Domesticating the Atomic Nucleus

It's been a roller coaster ride

It brought us pain

It also brought us joy

But with the efforts of countless pioneers

The once unruly nucleus

It is getting closer and closer to our hearts

Ideal Energy

Even though we don't know

How many difficult challenges will there be tomorrow?

But looking back at nuclear energy

This development process of less than a hundred years

We have reason to believe

A bumpy but bright future

As Nobel Peace Prize winners

Albert Schweitzer said

"I look to the future with anxiety.

But I still have good hopes.”

The same is true for nuclear energy

(Staff are replacing nuclear fuel, photographer @赖虔瑜/China General Nuclear Power Group)

▼

This article was created by

Written by: Li Yali

Editor: Mr. Zhen

Design: Luo Zihan and Zheng Borong

Image: Qin Nan

Map: Zhengyi

Proofreading: Wang Kun and Chen Zhihao

Cover Photographer: Li Liangjie/SPIC Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research Institute

Expert Review

Yu Wen, Distinguished Researcher, School of National Security and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University

Special thanks

State-owned assets: China National Nuclear Corporation, China General Nuclear Power Group

【References】

[1] Yan Changqi, Ding Ming. Introduction to Nuclear Engineering[M]. Harbin Engineering University Press, 2018.

[2] Zhu Hua. Nuclear Power and Nuclear Energy[M]. Zhejiang University Press, 2009.

[3] Ye Qizhen, Li Xiaoming, Yu Zhongde, et al. China Electrical Engineering Encyclopedia Volume 6 Nuclear Power Generation Engineering[M]. China Electric Power Press, 2009.

[4] Mo Zhengyu. Introduction to Energy and Power Engineering[M]. Sichuan University Press, 2015.

[5] Charles D. Ferguson. Nuclear Energy[M]. Translated by Lu Jizong. Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, 2020.

Planetary Research Institute

Explore the world from a geographical perspective

···THE END···