Chapter 502 Difficulties

Inside the nuclear fusion research base in Bazhong City.

Academicians Huang Xiuyuan and Li Jiangang, more than a dozen top scholars in the field of nuclear fusion, discussed the positron blocking system.

On the projection screen in the conference room is a three-dimensional model of the tokamak device and a design sketch of the positron blocking system.

Dr. Xu Guosheng looked at the two systems in front of him, pointed to a line of data and said: "Through calculations, we only need to increase the positron speed to 270,000 kilometers per second, or double the positron density to completely block it. High-energy fast neutrons.”

In many people's common sense, the speed of electricity is very fast, and the speed of electricity is usually equated to the speed of light, but in fact the speed mentioned here is actually the speed of the electric field.

The real electron movement speed is called electron drift speed. In the absence of other external acceleration, its vacuum speed is about 27,000 kilometers per second.

In the electron-positron collider, the speed of electrons can be accelerated to 299,990 kilometers per second, which is infinitely close to the speed of light.

It is not too difficult to let positrons achieve a speed of 270,000 kilometers per second in a vacuum tube.

In the current prototype, the speed can reach 132,000 kilometers per second.

Increasing the speed is to increase the probability of collision between positrons and neutrons in disguise, ensuring that all neutrons are converted into protons.

If the speed is not increased, it can only increase the density of positrons or expand the thickness of the positron flow.

"This problem is not big, and there are many solutions to it." Academician Li Jiangang finished speaking, showing a trace of distress: "The key issue now is how to integrate the positron blocking system into the tokamak device. These two systems are somewhat difficult to solve." Integrate it!”

Huang Xiuyuan also discovered this problem: "The problem mentioned by Academician Li is very critical. The tokamak device itself has a toroidal magnetic field, and the positron blocking system also requires a strong magnetic field. It is difficult to combine the two in one system."

Academician Li said helplessly: "And there is another problem. The nuclear fusion reaction area of ​​the Tokamak device is inside the ring vacuum tube, and the outside of the positron blocking system is a layer of superconducting coils, which means that neutrons have to enter. The positrons must first pass through the superconducting coil before blocking the area."

These two issues have become the key to the design of interference engineering. The magnetic field of the superconducting coil is a necessary device to restrain the positron flow. However, the passage of a large amount of neutron flow will surely quickly destroy the superconducting coil, leading to the loss of positrons. control.

After a while, Xu Guosheng expressed his opinion: "On this issue, unless the positron flow is inserted into the nuclear fusion plasma, we are not sure whether other reactions will occur."

"If positrons and plasma are injected together, the nuclear reaction material will soon be ionized and turn into plasma." said Academician Zhang of Southwest Nuclear Energy Institute.

This situation is actually that the negative electrons of the nuclear reaction material are annihilated by the positrons, allowing the nuclear material to directly turn into plasma, which can accelerate the progress of the nuclear reaction.

The only question is whether the nuclear fusion reaction will be disturbed by the dense positrons.

Everyone was deep in thought, and Huang Xiuyuan also opened his notebook and calculated some nuclear reaction parameters on it from time to time.

Now everyone is deep in thought.

Neutrons in nuclear reactions cannot be completely eliminated. Nuclear fusion reactions will shut down due to insufficient fuel.

In the current nuclear fusion reaction, the designed reaction raw material is the deuterium-tritium reaction (DT reaction).

Deuterium is okay, its abundance in blue stars is very high, and it can be refined in large quantities through heavy water; but the abundance of tritium in the nature of blue stars is very low, not much better than helium-3.

Therefore, in a nuclear fusion reactor, tritium self-sustainment must be considered, that is, tritium is obtained by bombarding lithium 6 with neutrons and allowed to enter the nuclear fusion cycle.

Just based on calculations based on theoretical data, even if neutrons are used to bombard lithium-6 so that the reaction is replenished with tritium, the ratio between its consumption and self-replenishment can only reach 1.05:1.

Even though the difference is only 0.05, once the nuclear fusion reaction starts, if there is no external supply of tritium, the tritium inside the system will soon be exhausted.

One kilogram of tritium costs 200 million yuan, and the total annual global production of tritium is only a few kilograms. Once nuclear fusion is put into large-scale use, at least several hundred kilograms of tritium will be needed a year.

It is difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without rice, which is the predicament at hand.

Helium 3 is also an abundance problem in blue stars, making it impractical.

Even if we start to build a base on the moon now, it will still be very difficult to extract helium 3 from the lunar soil on a large scale.

The problems of controllable nuclear fusion are really one after another, one is solved, and another arises, causing everyone a headache.

The positron blocking system is incompatible with the tokamak device, and the tritium element in the deuterium-tritium reaction is difficult to sustain itself. There are a series of other problems, which can be called the hairline enemy of researchers.

Huang Xiuyuan had no choice but to suggest: "Let's do a simulation experiment in a supercomputer!"

"That's all." Academician Li took off his glasses and rubbed his dry eyes.

After connecting to the internal supercomputing system, they began to set some parameters, added positrons, and then conducted simulation experiments step by step.

Sure enough, they found many problems during the simulation experiment.

For example, the positron flow and plasma interfere with each other, causing the previous plasma operation model to completely fail.

Another example is that the positron flow eliminates a large number of neutrons, resulting in the lithium 6 layer being unable to receive neutron bombardment, causing the tritium element to be quickly consumed, and the reaction to be stopped directly.

Another example is that the nuclear fusion reaction destroys the integrity of the positron flow, resulting in high-energy fast neutrons from time to time, becoming a fish that slips through the net and directly bombards the surrounding interior.

As well as positron flow, plasma stratification, and more.

This series of questions made people's scalp numb, and made Huang Xiuyuan's head grow bigger.

Half lying on the engineering chair, he emptied his mind and stared blankly at the ceiling. The ceiling seemed within reach, but in fact it was still far away.

Others also had different expressions, thinking in their own way about how to solve these problems.

In order to capture this Golden Crow, everyone considered every possibility, even the laser inertial restraint plan.

This matter has troubled everyone for more than a month. Although there were some ingenious plans during this period, none of them could achieve perfect controllable nuclear fusion in the simulation experiments.

Huang Xiuyuan had no choice but to put this matter aside temporarily as the company still had a lot of things to do.

Academician Li and others continue to improve, trying to find a solution that is perfectly compatible with the tokamak device and the positron blocking system.

Huang Xiuyuan, who was at the company headquarters, was also paying attention to this matter through the internal communication network.

On the other side, Xiao Yingnan also gave birth to a boy on November 16.

Inside the exclusive hospital.

Huang Xiuyuan's parents were looking happily at the crumpled child on the crib, while he was sitting next to Xiao Yingnan's hospital bed, looking at the beauty in front of him with complex eyes.

Fate is so helpless. He gained a lot and lost a lot.

One drink and one peck, it seems that there is a certain destiny.

"Have a good rest, I will be at the headquarters recently."

"Thank you!" Xiao Yingnan's face was a little pale and he had gained a lot of weight.

Huang Xiuyuan peeled an apple for her, and the two of them stayed quietly, without words or emotions.

Finally, he glanced at the child on the crib, with a trace of worry in his eyes.

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