Joint project with EU involves more than 500 scientists and engineers and more than 70 companies

Joint project with EU involves more than 500 scientists and engineers and more than 70 companies

The world’s biggest operational experimental nuclear fusion reactor – a technology in its infancy but billed by some as the answer to humanity’s future energy needs – has been inaugurated in Naka, Japan.

Fusion differs from fission, the technique used in nuclear power plants, by fusing two atomic nuclei instead of splitting one.

The goal of the JT-60SA reactor is to investigate the feasibility of fusion as a safe, large-scale and carbon-free source of net energy – with more energy generated than is put into producing it.

The six-storey-high machine, in a hangar in Naka, north of Tokyo, comprises a doughnut-shaped “tokamak” vessel set to contain swirling plasma heated up to 200mC (360mF).

It is a joint project between the European Union and Japan, and is the forerunner for its big brother in France, the under-construction International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

  • Lightsong@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    11 months ago

    Thank you for the reply.

    I imagine it must be pretty hard to coordinate groups, different level of skills, management, etc. And if one part joined another, and their projects aren’t compatible with each other, and more.

    • AlecSadler@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      Yeah, it’s a mess. And there’s a re-org that’s supposed to magically fix everything every quarter or two. And management always promises things will get better, but they don’t.

      It’s too big. Too unwieldy. No spearheads.

      But it’s great because it’s low stress and low expectations.

      It sucks if you care about career advancement and personal career growth…but eh.