Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 33：The Exam

At the Northern Fusion Reactor Research Base, all the scientific personnel had been assembled.
Jiang Fan stood before the Tokamak device, holding a large schematic in his hands.

"Distinguished researchers, my name is Jiang Fan. I am honored to join you all in the endeavor to develop controlled nuclear fusion," he began. "Over the next month, we will work together to achieve the goal of stabilizing nuclear fusion for a full 100 seconds."

As soon as he finished speaking, the researchers exchanged astonished glances, their expressions filled with disbelief.
They turned to look at Commander Zhou for clarification.

Zhou Huaide addressed the group.
"Indeed, in the coming month, we must meet this challenge. It is the directive from the leadership: if we succeed, the Northern Base will avoid suspension, and we will secure 10 billion in funding over the next year..."

Upon hearing this, the researchers were left stunned.

"Commander Zhou, stabilizing nuclear fusion for 100 seconds is utterly impossible!"
"Yes! The most advanced fusion research in the world, from the United States, has only managed to control fusion for 10 seconds. How can we possibly achieve more?"
"At our current technological level, even stabilizing it for 2 seconds would be a significant breakthrough!"
"..."

Zhou Huaide, listening to their concerns, had, in fact, shared their doubts before encountering Jiang Fan. But now, after seeing Jiang Fan's knowledge and confidence, he firmly believed that success was within reach.

"Trust me," Zhou said. "If we cooperate fully with Jiang Fan, I am confident we can meet this challenge within a month."

Despite Zhou's encouragement, the researchers remained uncertain, their doubts only deepening when they saw the youthful face of Jiang Fan.

Sensing their skepticism, Jiang Fan addressed the group calmly. "I understand that you may have doubts about me. How about this: Feel free to ask me any questions about controlled nuclear fusion—think of it as an examination for me joining the Northern Base."

An already skeptical researcher immediately asked, "Alright then, let me start: What are the two types of products produced during fusion?"

"Charged and neutral particles," Jiang Fan replied smoothly. "The charged alpha particles are confined and their energy is deposited into the plasma for heating. However, they are an impurity that must be removed to prevent them from reducing the fusion rate. Neutral neutrons, on the other hand, are not confined. They collide with surrounding materials, causing significant damage. On the one hand, we need these neutrons' energy for power generation; on the other hand, we must shield them as much as possible. As for the methods of shielding..."

The room fell silent. Some researchers, upon hearing his explanation, were struck with sudden clarity.

"Right! That's how we can shield the neutral neutrons!"
"Ah, brilliant! We've been struggling with this issue for years and never found a solution—who would have thought it could be this simple, ha-ha!"
"This young man is something else!"

Another researcher stepped forward with a follow-up question.
"What material is used for the Tokamak device to stabilize the magnetic field to the critical point?"

"The superconducting magnets are still subject to critical current and critical magnetic field limitations," Jiang Fan responded. "The highest critical current superconducting material is niobium-titanium alloy (Nb-Ti), but Nb3Sn is more suitable..."

"What about the ignition methods for fusion?"

"Common ignition methods for fusion include laser ignition..."

"..."

The questions grew more complex as the session progressed, but Jiang Fan answered each one with calm precision, providing not only answers but practical solutions. The researchers, who had initially doubted him, were now beginning to wonder if he had somehow acquired classified fusion research from abroad.

By the time he had answered all their questions, the room was in stunned silence. Zhou Huaide was equally amazed; even the most experienced fusion experts from abroad might struggle to match what Jiang Fan had just accomplished.

With pride, Zhou turned to the group.
"I now appoint Jiang Fan as the Chief Engineer for the Northern Controlled Fusion Research Base. Any objections?"

There was a brief pause, then a resounding round of applause. They knew no one else could possibly be more qualified than Jiang Fan.

Seeing the unanimous support, Jiang Fan nodded and said, "Now, we have only one month, and time is of the essence. Let me explain the issues with our current Tokamak device."

He then began detailing the problems one by one, starting with the outermost components. "The material at this location must be a nickel-titanium alloy, with a density of p = 4.5g/cm³, and a thermal conductivity of 15.24W/(m·K)..."

He continued, meticulously addressing every aspect of the device, from material purity to stress-strain relationships, and more. For over an hour, he listed the issues, leaving no part of the Tokamak device untouched. The researchers felt a deep sense of embarrassment as it became clear that their work over the past ten years had been flawed.

Had Jiang Fan not answered their questions so impeccably, they might have felt inclined to confront him angrily. But instead, they stood in silent reflection. It was as if they had been running a race in the wrong direction for a decade, only to be told they were heading the wrong way.

Some lowered their heads, ashamed. The most perplexed person in the room, however, was Zhou Huaide. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or regretful.

Jiang Fan was not trying to belittle anyone; he simply aimed to advance the research. His directness in pointing out the flaws was simply part of his goal to achieve controlled nuclear fusion.

"I'll now outline the main improvements needed for the Tokamak device..." Jiang Fan continued, explaining the changes in greater detail. After two more hours, the researchers finally began to understand the scope of the modifications required.

Jiang Fan promised that he would present a detailed plan for the revisions and that they would begin constructing a new Tokamak device the following day.

By the time the meeting was over, it was well past 11 PM.

Returning to the room Zhou had arranged for him, Jiang Fan checked his phone and found more than ten missed calls from Qiao Shan and an unfamiliar number.

It was already nearing midnight, so Jiang Fan decided to wait before returning the calls.

He then opened WeChat and saw a friend request from a girl named "Little Wild Cat."

Her message read: "The girl from our fun day out together!"