160: Chapter 160 A Perfect Start

"All diagnostic units, start exporting and backing up the complete data packets immediately!

Ensure that all data, especially the transient data from high-speed collection, not a single byte is lost!"

Academician Yang's voice came through the microphone.

The Researchers' fingers tapped rapidly on their keyboards, pulling up data storage interfaces and executing complex export commands.

Confirmations rang out one after another in the hall.

"Optical diagnostic data exporting..."

"Microwave reflection data verification complete, beginning transmission..."

"X-ray energy spectrum data complete..."

"The Magnetic Probe Array data volume is massive; estimated transmission time is twenty minutes..."

The real-time monitoring screen on the massive circular main display was switched, replaced by data transmission progress bars and dense initial raw data charts.

Massive amounts of data were flowing from sensors and diagnostic equipment in every corner of the east device, converging like a hundred rivers into the sea, along the high-speed network into the computing clusters and storage arrays in the control room's backend.

Researchers gathered in small groups around various screens, pointing and speaking rapidly.

Chen Youhua and Academician Yang Zhenyu stood before the central main screen, and several heads of the core groups naturally gathered around.

"Old Li, what was the final ripple coefficient for the current flattop phase?"

Academician Yang didn't look back, his eyes still fixed on an extremely smooth curve on the screen as he asked the head of the Control Group.

"0.7%, Chief Yang!"

Old Li leaned closer to the screen, tracing the nearly straight line of the waveband with his finger.

"Especially the 3rd and 7th harmonics—they're almost completely suppressed. Professor Chen's observer algorithm is simply divine!"

Chen Youhua nodded slightly, but his gaze shifted to the energy data next to it.

"The preliminary fitted value for the confinement time τ_E seems to be around 102 seconds."

"Exactly! An improvement of nearly 10%!"

A young data analyst chimed in, holding a freshly printed chart.

"And look, Professor Chen, the degradation curve in the high-density region is much flatter than before!"

He pointed to the curve at the end of the chart, which should have dropped more steeply but now appeared gradual.

Engineers from the Boundary Diagnostics Group also squeezed in, pointing to a stack of complex spectrograms on their screen.

"Professor Chen, look at the microwave scattering data; the edge shear flow is indeed stronger, and the correlation length of the turbulence has shortened.

The 55kHz RF Modulation you suggested coupled with the local mode even better than we expected!"

"As long as it's effective," Chen Youhua nodded.

"This shows that actively regulating edge turbulence through external means is a viable direction."

Just then, Old Zhang, the head of the Divertor Group, walked over with a stack of freshly produced heat load distribution maps.

"The peak heat load of the ELM still hit 12 megawatts per square meter this time, but..."

He placed two charts side-by-side.

"Look, the distribution range of the hot spots is 15% wider than last time, and it moved! It's not burning a single spot relentlessly!

The Magnetic Field Jitter you mentioned worked, giving us a precious millisecond-scale time window."

But then he pulled out an electron microscope photo of the microstructure, his tone turning somber.

"However, the material still didn't fully hold up. Under cyclic impact, micro-cracks are still growing, and at a rate much faster than our bench tests."

Chen Youhua took the photo and looked at it closely.

"The damage mechanism under transient thermal stress is different from static stress.

For the next experiment, perhaps we can try actively injecting trace amounts of nitrogen to flatten the boundary temperature peaks through radiative cooling, weakening the ELM intensity at the source."

"Nitrogen injection?"

Old Zhang was stunned for a moment, then looked at Academician Yang.

"Chief Yang, this..."

Academician Yang pondered for a moment.

"The risk isn't small; if impurities get in, it might affect the core purity... Diagnostic group, can you still find the Z_eff data from the last small-scale nitrogen injection experiment? How was the contamination control?"

"We have the data! I'll pull it up right away!"

A Researcher nearby responded immediately, operating the computer quickly.

At that moment, the professor in charge of the comprehensive performance evaluation came over with a preliminary report, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Chief Yang, Professor Chen, preliminary estimates show that the Triple Product this time is 18% higher than our previous best record! The Equivalent Q-value has reached 25!"

Academician Yang took the report and scanned it quickly. He tapped heavily on the numbers "1.8e21 keV•s/m³" and "Q~25," let out a long sigh, and looked at Chen Youhua.

"Professor Chen, you see? We've taken another big step forward!

Your mathematical tools have helped us squeeze the performance of the current device almost to its limit."

Chen Youhua's expression remained sober.

"Chief Yang, these are just transient values.

There's still a huge gap between this and true steady-state operation and engineering ignition, which is Q > 50. Furthermore,"

He looked at the material photo in Old Zhang's hand.

"The performance ceiling, it seems now, is stuck on more fundamental aspects like materials."

"Indeed!"

Academician Yang sighed in agreement and patted Old Zhang on the shoulder.

"Old Zhang, the burden on your shoulders is even heavier now. Mathematical models can help us run better, but the material of the track itself still depends on you material scientists."

He turned to Chen Youhua.

"Youhua, for the subsequent analysis, especially the response data of materials under transient extreme conditions, I'll have to trouble you to look into it. See if you can point us to a new path mathematically—for instance, which direction should we push for new damage-resistant material designs?"

"I will focus on that part of the data," Chen Youhua replied firmly.

"Good!"

Academician Yang rallied his spirits and addressed the growing crowd of Researchers.

"Don't just stand there! The data gold mine is right here. Every group, organize your people immediately and dig deep for me!

Physical mechanisms, model validation, the next experimental plan—I want to see detailed analyses as soon as possible!"

With the order given, the crowd dispersed again, diving into more meticulous data analysis work.

The sounds of discussion, typing, and printers filled the air as everyone began a new round of tackling tough problems.

Chen Youhua also walked to an analysis desk nearby and, together with several young Researchers, began a deeper interpretation of the complex waveforms and spectral data on the screen.

After arranging the work, Academician Yang walked to Chen Youhua's side again, full of expectation.

"Youhua, for the next few days, I'm afraid I'll have to keep troubling you to dig deep into this treasure trove of data with us!"

Chen Youhua nodded with a smile.

"It's my duty."