핵융합 연구 20여 년 만에 독립...20년 뒤 '청정 전기' 생산
It's been some 20 years since South Korea began its nuclear fusion research, ...with aims to create an artificial sun on earth.
Recent successes from the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy have resulted in requests for cooperation from interested global partners.
Park Se-young has more.
Researchers are busy preparing for a nuclear fusion experiment requested by the U.S., ...which utilizes South Korea's KSTAR magnetic fusion device.
After the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy set a global record by maintaining a super-thermal plasma temperature of one-hundred million degrees for 20 seconds, ...researchers from around the world have been making requests for cooperative research.
"KSTAR is optimized for plasma conditions. It's the only one to study the conditions where fusion reactions take place."
It's been some 20 years since South Korea began nuclear fusion research, ...with the goal of creating an artificial sun on earth.
After carrying out research at annex institutes, the KFE recently became an independent agency.
With the goal of realizing nuclear fusion energy, ...Korea is participating in the International Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor project with six other countries.
"We're achieving more than 70 percent of our goals from an energy production perspective. We need a stepping stone technology to turn energy into electricity."
By 2040, the researchers plan to develop a demonstration reactor that produces electricity using fusion energy.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
