Announced that the Ministry of Energy officially achieved output exceeding energy input in nuclear fusion experiment and confirmed 'ignition'



On December 13, 2022, the United States Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced that in a laser fusion experiment conducted at

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on December 13, 2022, a higher energy output than the input was obtained. I officially announced that Ignition was successful.

DOE National Laboratory Makes History by Achieving Fusion Ignition | Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignition

National Ignition Facility achieves fusion ignition | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
https://www.llnl.gov/news/national-ignition-facility-achieves-fusion-ignition



Rumors that the net increase in energy in nuclear fusion experiments could be confirmed were reported before the official announcement.

Finally confirmed the ``net increase in energy'' in which the production energy exceeds the input by nuclear fusion - GIGAZINE



According to the Department of Energy, researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), who studies nuclear fusion at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, irradiate about 200 high-power lasers into a small capsule containing deuterium. It is said that he was conducting a laser nuclear fusion experiment. And when the energy of the irradiation laser exceeded 2.05 megajoules (MJ) in total on December 5, 2022, it was announced that the threshold for nuclear fusion reaction was exceeded and an output of 3.15 MJ was confirmed.



Nuclear fusion is relatively safer than nuclear fission, and the amount of energy that can be extracted from the same mass of fuel is greater than that of nuclear fission, so it is considered an essential technology for the next-generation energy revolution, and has been researched since the 1950s. . However, a nuclear fusion reactor that can withstand high temperatures and pressures is required to cause a nuclear fusion reaction, and it is necessary to input a huge amount of energy, so it is still far from practical use.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory experiment 'produced more energy than was put in,' and the Department of Energy and NNSA 'achieved the milestone known as the scientific energy balance for the first time in history.' achievements,' it said, adding that it was 'an important scientific breakthrough in decades that will pave the way for advances in national defense and clean power.'

However, in this experiment, it was just that the energy balance was positive, and the energy input for laser irradiation was enormous. is asked. Future challenges include the development of smaller, more energy-efficient laser devices and the development of reactors that can sustain an ignited fusion reaction.



'This is a milestone for the researchers and staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality,' said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. This milestone will undoubtedly spark further discoveries, and the Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting world-class scientists, such as those at NIF, whose research will help fight climate change. It will help solve some of humanity's most complex and urgent problems, such as providing clean electricity for the world and maintaining nuclear deterrence without testing.'

“December 4, 2022 was a historic day in science thanks to the incredible staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NIF,” said NNSA Administrator Jill Flaby. Their belief in the was critical to our mission.'

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