The Wendelstein 7-X in Greifswald, Germany is currently the world’s largest ‘Stellarator’ fusion reactor, and it looks to be straight from a horror movie. Simply put, this machine is designed to contain super-hot plasma for more than 30 minutes at a time. In a test earlier this week, the reactor produced a special super-hot 1,000,000°C gas for 1/10 of a second, giving hope that one day it could eventually lead to limitless supplies of clean and cheap energy. It works by injecting two kinds of hydrogen atoms – deuterium and tritium – into a containment vessel. Click here to view more pictures. Continue reading for another incredible time-lapse video of the build.
“Scientist then add energy that removes the electrons from their host atoms, forming what is described as an ion plasma, which releases huge amounts of energy. Strong magnetic fields are used to keep the plasma away from the walls; these are produced by superconducting coils surrounding the vessel, and by an electrical current driven through the plasma,” reports Mail Online.
