Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>EAST followed China's first superconducting tokamak device, dubbed <a href="/facts/HT-7/V1C989tv">HT-7</a>, built by the Institute of Plasma Physics in partnership with <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a> in the early 1990s. It was first proposed in 1996 and approved in 1998. According to a 2003 schedule,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> buildings and site facilities were to be constructed by 2003. Tokamak assembly was to take place from 2003 through 2005. Construction was completed in March 2006.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>According to official reports, the project's budget is <a href="/facts/Renminbi/513xLnrK">CNY</a> ¥300 million (approximately US$37 million), some 1/15 to 1/20 the cost of a comparable reactor built in other countries.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h3>Phase I</h3> <p>EAST entered its first commissioning phase around March 2006. Shortly after, in-vessel components and diagnostics were assembled.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>During initial operation, EAST was able to successfully generate its first plasma on September 28, 2006 in a nearly three second long test, reaching an electric current of 200 <a href="/facts/Kiloampere/rcKdfC2R">kiloamperes</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> By January 2007, the reactor had progressed to creating a plasma that could last nearly five seconds and generate currents up to 500 kiloamperes.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>Three years later, EAST was able to achieve a key milestone on November 7, 2010, achieving an <a href="/facts/H-mode/zrR5gh6Y">H-mode</a> plasma by low hybrid wave (LHW) injection alone.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a>[<i>better source needed</i>] This was shortly followed by further success, where EAST became the first tokamak to successfully sustain H-Mode plasma for over 30 seconds at ~50 million <a href="/facts/Kelvin/E3trzC4C">Kelvin</a> in May of 2011. </p> <h3>Phase II</h3> <p>The second phase of EAST was formally entered through a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the EAST auxiliary heating system project, which was held on November 29, 2011.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>After a nearly 20-month long upgrading break since September 2012, EAST commenced for the first round of experiments in May 2014. A year later, EAST was reporting currents of up to 1 <a href="/facts/Megaampere/rcKdfC2R">Megaampere</a>, as well as stable <a href="/facts/H-mode/zrR5gh6Y">H-mode</a> plasma for 6.4 seconds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Then, almost two years later, EAST was able to break records when it managed to maintain a plasma pulse for 102 seconds at ~50 million °C (90 million °F). During this test, EAST was able to generate a Plasma with currents of 400 kiloamperes with a density of about 2.4 x 1019/m3. It was observed that the temperature was slowly increasing during this test.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p><p>Building on this success, EAST became the first tokamak to successfully sustain H-Mode plasma for more than one minute at ~50 million °C (90 million °F) on November 2, 2016.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> In July of 2017, it was also the first tokamak to sustain said plasma for more than 100 seconds at the same temperature.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> The following year, EAST reached a milestone of ~100 million °C (180 million °F) electron temperature on November 12, 2018.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> During May of 2021, it reached an electron temperature of 120 million °C electron temperature for 101 seconds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> On December 30, 2021, a long-pulse high-parameter plasma operation of 1056 seconds was realized, setting another world record for the operation of the Tokamak experimental device.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p><p>EAST achieved the world's first 403-second steady-state <a href="/facts/H-mode/zrR5gh6Y">H-mode</a> plasma on April 12, 2023.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> </p><p>EAST then broke its record 20 months later on January 20, 2025, when it sustained plasma for 1066 seconds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="physics-objectives">Physics objectives</h2> <p>China is a member of the <a href="/facts/ITER/SkpWL87b">ITER</a> consortium, and EAST is a testbed for ITER technologies.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> </p><p>EAST was designed to test: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Superconductivity/pqQAlSzJ">Superconducting</a> <a href="/facts/Niobium-titanium/FXMYDvaW">Niobium-titanium</a> <a href="/facts/Poloidal_field/NI1MCYE3">poloidal field</a> <a href="/facts/Magnets/vvrg6VSk">magnets</a>, making it the first tokamak with superconducting toroidal and <a href="/facts/Toroidal_and_poloidal/508IqWHn">poloidal</a> magnets</li> <li>Non-inductive current drive</li> <li>Pulses of up to 102 seconds with 0.5 MA plasma current</li> <li>Schemes for controlling plasma instabilities through real-time diagnostics</li> <li>Materials for diverters and plasma facing components</li> <li>Operation with <i>β</i>N = 2 and confinement factor <i>H</i>89 > 2</li></ul> <h2 id="tokamak-parameters">Tokamak parameters</h2> Tokamak parameters<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="/facts/Toroidal_field/NI1MCYE3">Toroidal field</a>, <i>B</i>t</td><td>3.5 T</td></tr><tr><td>Plasma current, <i>I</i>P</td><td>1.0 MA</td></tr><tr><td>Major radius, <i>R</i>0</td><td>1.85 m</td></tr><tr><td>Minor radius, <i>a</i></td><td>0.45 m</td></tr><tr><td>Aspect ratio, <i>R</i>/<i>a</i></td><td>4.11</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Elongation_(plasma_physics)/PV9wkvWd">Elongation</a>, <i>κ</i></td><td>1.6–2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Triangularity_(plasma_physics)/PV9wkvWd">Triangularity</a>, <i>δ</i></td><td>0.6–0.8 </td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ion_cyclotron_resonance_heating/NvTPxc9f">Ion cyclotron resonance heating</a> (ICRH)</td><td>3 MW</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lower_hybrid_current_drive/UjXGe3MG">Lower hybrid current drive</a> (LHCD)</td><td>4 MW</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Electron_cyclotron_resonance_heating/kDtb8Bsw">Electron cyclotron resonance heating</a> (ECRH)</td><td>None currently (0.5 MW planned)</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Neutral_beam_injection/R8nwaIII">Neutral beam injection</a> (NBI)</td><td>None currently (planned)</td></tr><tr><td>Pulse length</td><td>1–1000 s</td></tr><tr><td>Configuration</td><td>Double-null <a href="/facts/Divertor/P2xcFypT">divertor</a> Pump limiter Single null divertor</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Nuclear technology portal</li><li>Energy portal</li><li>China portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/ASDEX_Upgrade/ohwWmIl1">ASDEX Upgrade</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/China_Fusion_Engineering_Test_Reactor/DqSDbclQ">China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor</a> (CFETR)</li> <li><a href="/facts/HL-2M/y2d8IxMI">HL-2M</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_fusion_experiments/yoVA6oc3">List of fusion experiments</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/ITER/SkpWL87b">ITER</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Joint_European_Torus/faIvLnuY">Joint European Torus</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/JT-60/BmWrcR3E">JT-60</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/KSTAR/VLrK33yQ">KSTAR</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://east.ipp.ac.cn/">Official website</a> - Official website of EAST Fusion Facility - Chinese Academy of Science</li> <li><a href="http://english.people.com.cn/200601/21/eng20060121_237208.html">People's Daily article</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060617021121/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/02/content_4247782.htm">Xinhua article Mar 1 2006</a> - Note that EAST is not the "world's first experimental nuclear fusion device".</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060901043025/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/24/content_4341563.htm">Xinhua article Mar 24, 2006 Nuke fusion reactor completes test</a></li></ul> <p><a href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Experimental_Advanced_Superconducting_Tokamak¶ms=31.91174_N_117.14682_E_">31°54′42″N 117°08′49″E / 31.91174°N 117.14682°E / 31.91174; 117.14682</a> </p> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"China's New Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor Test Successful -- china.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2024-12-03. <a href="http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm" target="_blank">http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Ding, B. J.; et al. (2015). "Study of lower hybrid current drive towards long-pulse operation with high performance in EAST". Radio Frequency Power in Plasmas. AIP Conference Proceedings. 1689 (1). EURATOM: 080002. Bibcode:2015AIPC.1689h0002D. doi:10.1063/1.4936525. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.4936525" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.4936525</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Patrick Pester (2025-01-21). "China's 'artificial sun' shatters nuclear fusion record by generating steady loop of plasma for 1,000 seconds". livescience.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/nuclear-energy/chinas-artificial-sun-shatters-nuclear-fusion-record-by-generating-steady-loop-of-plasma-for-1-000-seconds" target="_blank">https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/nuclear-energy/chinas-artificial-sun-shatters-nuclear-fusion-record-by-generating-steady-loop-of-plasma-for-1-000-seconds</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Project/6.doc [dead link] <a href="http://202.127.205.62/IAC/disk/Design%20of%20the%20EAST(HT-7U)" target="_blank">http://202.127.205.62/IAC/disk/Design%20of%20the%20EAST(HT-7U)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"China's New Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor Test Successful". China.org.net. September 29, 2006. <a href="http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm" target="_blank">http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"China to build world's first "artificial sun" experimental device". People's Daily Online. 2006-01-21. <a href="http://english.people.com.cn/200601/21/eng20060121_237208.html" target="_blank">http://english.people.com.cn/200601/21/eng20060121_237208.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>https://fire.pppl.gov/iaea06_ov1_1_wan.pdf <a href="https://fire.pppl.gov/iaea06_ov1_1_wan.pdf" target="_blank">https://fire.pppl.gov/iaea06_ov1_1_wan.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"China's New Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor Test Successful". China.org.net. September 29, 2006. <a href="http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm" target="_blank">http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182561.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Xinhua article Jan 15, 2007 Chinese scientists conduct more tests on thermonuclear fusion reactor. 2007-Jan-15 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100121032440/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/15/content_5608276.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100121032440/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/15/content_5608276.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>admin (2010-12-03). "EAST Tokamak achieves stationary H-mode plasmas". ITER - the way to new energy. Retrieved 2024-12-03. <a href="https://www.iter.org/node/20687/east-tokamak-achieves-stationary-h-mode-plasmas" target="_blank">https://www.iter.org/node/20687/east-tokamak-achieves-stationary-h-mode-plasmas</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy Of Scieneces". english.ipp.cas.cn. Retrieved 2024-12-03. <a href="http://english.ipp.cas.cn/syxw/201112/t20111203_85861.html" target="_blank">http://english.ipp.cas.cn/syxw/201112/t20111203_85861.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>EAST at IPP-CAS <a href="http://english.ipp.cas.cn/rh/east/" target="_blank">http://english.ipp.cas.cn/rh/east/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"That's cute, Germany – China shows the world how fusion is done". The Register. February 6, 2016. more data in screen shot <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/06/china_shows_how_fusion_is_done/" target="_blank">https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/06/china_shows_how_fusion_is_done/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"EAST Achieves Longest Steady-state H-mode Operations". EAST team. November 15, 2016. <a href="http://english.ipp.cas.cn/syxw/201611/t20161115_170479.html" target="_blank">http://english.ipp.cas.cn/syxw/201611/t20161115_170479.html</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"China's 'artificial sun' sets world record with 100s steady-state high performance plasma". Chinese Academy of Sciences. July 5, 2017. <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-07/caos-cs070517.php" target="_blank">https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-07/caos-cs070517.php</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>"Chinese fusion tool pushes past 100 million degrees". Phys.org. November 15, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2020. <a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-11-chinese-fusion-tool-million-degrees.html" target="_blank">https://phys.org/news/2018-11-chinese-fusion-tool-million-degrees.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>GLOBALink | "Chinese artificial sun" sets new world record, 28 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-29 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IylinT7eKE8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IylinT7eKE8</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>GLOBALink | 中国"人造太阳"实现千秒级等离子体运行, retrieved 2021-12-31 <a href="http://www.news.cn/politics/2021-12/31/c_1128221002.htm" target="_blank">http://www.news.cn/politics/2021-12/31/c_1128221002.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"1,056 Seconds, another world record for EAST". December 31, 2021. <a href="http://english.ipp.cas.cn/news/202112/t20211231_295486.html" target="_blank">http://english.ipp.cas.cn/news/202112/t20211231_295486.html</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"Reliable 403 Seconds Stationary H-mode Plasmas Demonstrated on EAST". April 17, 2023. <a href="https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/news/202304/t20230417_329388.shtml" target="_blank">https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/news/202304/t20230417_329388.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Patrick Pester (2025-01-21). "China's 'artificial sun' shatters nuclear fusion record by generating steady loop of plasma for 1,000 seconds". livescience.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/nuclear-energy/chinas-artificial-sun-shatters-nuclear-fusion-record-by-generating-steady-loop-of-plasma-for-1-000-seconds" target="_blank">https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/nuclear-energy/chinas-artificial-sun-shatters-nuclear-fusion-record-by-generating-steady-loop-of-plasma-for-1-000-seconds</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>Ding, B. J.; et al. (2015). "Study of lower hybrid current drive towards long-pulse operation with high performance in EAST". Radio Frequency Power in Plasmas. AIP Conference Proceedings. 1689 (1). EURATOM: 080002. Bibcode:2015AIPC.1689h0002D. doi:10.1063/1.4936525. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.4936525" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.4936525</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>"EAST (HT-7U Super conducting Tokamak)----Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, The Chinese Academy of Sciences". <a href="http://english.hf.cas.cn/ic/ip/east/" target="_blank">http://english.hf.cas.cn/ic/ip/east/</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>