Academician Wang Dazhong Courtesy of Tsinghua University
Beijing, November 3, China News Network Title: "Magical" + "Extraordinary", Wang Dazhong, winner of the country's highest science and technology award, "harnessed the road of nuclear energy"
Written by Gao Kai, Ma Shuaisha
"Scientific research is a noble cause, worth a lifetime to pursue and struggle, but scientific research such as mountaineering, the process is often full of difficulties, setbacks and risks, I personally feel that to overcome this difficulty requires understanding, courage and resilience."
The 2020 China National Science and Technology Awards Conference was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 3. Wang Dazhong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, internationally renowned nuclear energy scientist and educator, won the highest national science and technology award.
Academician Wang Dazhong led the nuclear energy research team of Tsinghua University to improve the safety of nuclear energy as the main academic concept, and walked out of the successful road of China's advanced nuclear energy technology with inherent safety as the main feature from following and running to leading the world.
In 1956, in order to develop the national atomic energy industry, Tsinghua University established the Department of Engineering Physics, and selected a number of outstanding students from the majors of electrical machinery, machinery, and kinetic energy to transfer to the Department of Engineering Physics, including Wang Dazhong, who was studying sophomore in the Mechanical Department at the time. He became One of China's first reactor students, and his scientific quest was closely intertwined with the country's nuclear energy industry for 60 years.
Focusing on the development of nuclear energy for decades, Academician Wang Dazhong has written the ideals and feelings of Chinese scientists with excellent foresight and unremitting struggle.
In 1953, Wang Dazhong, who had just entered the university, provided a picture from Tsinghua University
Those who know are not confused
As a student of Academician Wang Dazhong, in the eyes of Zhang Zuoyi, the current dean of the Institute of Nuclear Research of Tsinghua University, the vision of the teacher is admirable, "Teacher Wang Dazhong's views at key moments are very advanced, and he is always keen and accurate. ”
In 1979, the core melting accident occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in the United States, and the world's nuclear energy industry fell into a trough. Wang Dazhong immediately realized that safety is the lifeline of nuclear energy development, and the future development of nuclear energy technology must grasp this major contradiction and aspire to develop inherently safe nuclear reactors.
The serious nuclear accident in Chernobyl in 1986 brought the development of nuclear energy in the world into a trough again, and the issue of nuclear safety became more prominent. Wang Dazhong did not waver in his determination to develop advanced reactors, he tracked the forefront of the development of international high-temperature reactors, and resolutely made major choices: first, the modular ball bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor reactor type; second, the development route from small-scale experimental reactors to full-size industrial demonstration power stations; and third, adhering to the principle of independent innovation in important technologies. These three major choices have played an important role in the development direction of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology in China and even in the world, and clarified the technological development route of China's high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in the next 30 years from then on. China's advanced nuclear energy technology, characterized by inherent safety, laid the foundation for success in moving from follow-up to leading the world.
As a forward-looking nuclear scientist, Wang Dazhong always pays close attention to the development of international advanced nuclear energy technology and pays great attention to national needs.
Also in the early 1980s, China's reform and opening up and economic and social development urgently needed sufficient electricity and heat supply. Wang Dazhong immediately recognized the importance of nuclear energy in China's future energy supply and environmental protection, and began to actively carry out research on low-temperature nuclear heating reactors.
The 5 MW cryogenic nuclear heating reactor was completed and put into operation in 1989, which is considered to be an important milestone not only in the development of nuclear heating reactors in the world, but also in solving the environmental pollution problems in China and many other countries.
Wang's foresight was evident in all aspects, and in 1994 he took over as president of Tsinghua University, which was still a multidisciplinary engineering university. It was Wang Dazhong and the school leadership team that systematically adjusted the disciplines of the school, which played a crucial role in the future rapid development of Tsinghua.
"Teacher Wang Dazhong's vision is almost 'magical', but in fact, it is rooted in his thinking, all his thoughtfulness." Zhang Zuoyi said.
In November 1989, Wang Dazhong, director of the Institute of Nuclear Energy (first from the left), announced that the 5 MW nuclear heating reactor had been successfully put into operation
Believe
Speaking of overcoming difficulties in scientific research, Wang Dazhong once said that scientists need to have understanding, courage and resilience, he said: "Enlightenment refers to a kind of ability to analyze problems, improving understanding sometimes needs to rely on imagination, rely on an intuitive judgment, courage is to dare to try, dare to choose no man's land in the field of science and technology, tenacity means that when we encounter setbacks, we must have perseverance and perseverance." ”
If extraordinary foresight is the embodiment of Wang Dazhong's "understanding", then the courage of faith he showed in the world of scientific research has become a powerful force to push everything forward.
People who know Wang Dazhong deeply feel that his thin body is full of extraordinary wisdom, and his humble appearance contains a firm will. When the country needed nuclear energy, he resolutely chose the nuclear reactor major; when the development of nuclear energy fell into a trough, he insisted on his original intention and did not give up; after identifying the academic goal of inherent safety, he persevered until he reached the peak of reactor safety.
In 1950, Wang Dazhong (front row, first from right) and his teammates on the baseball team of Nankai Middle School were photographed by Tsinghua University
In the field of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, at the beginning of reform and opening up, the technology of Germany, the United States and Japan was far ahead, and at that time, China's foundation was thin, the investment was small, and there was a lack of talent and experience. In the face of the huge gap in strength, Wang Dazhong did not retreat in the slightest and chose the road of independent innovation in advanced nuclear energy technology research and development.
It's a hard road to innovation. In addition to the harsh conditions, immature technological development, lack of personnel and experience, nuclear energy safety innovation must also cross the ultra-high threshold of the most stringent modern nuclear safety supervision. Leading scientists from similar teams in the world have lamented that the success of advanced nuclear energy projects does not depend on who is smarter, but who is more persistent.
China was finally able to reach the forefront of the world with unremitting "persistence", and Wang Dazhong's consistent faith and courage are undoubtedly the key factors in achieving the goal.
In 2011, at the Tsinghua Centennial Celebration Party, Wang Dazhong took the stage and danced for a photo courtesy of Tsinghua University
Tuk Tuk
Zhang Zuoyi, who is now the dean of tsinghua university's nuclear research institute, introduced, "My office is the original office of Professor Wang Dazhong, and I can still see the detailed planning of his visit to Germany led by his team in 1986, about China's development reactor, what work we want to do, how we want to do an experiment, goals, and what we will do in the future." Teacher Wang Dazhong changed the top densely. ”
Zhang Zuoyi said bluntly that he always felt quite emotional whenever he saw this, And Wang Dazhong's wholehearted devotion to his work and his unity of knowledge and action fully demonstrated the feelings of a Chinese scientist and his unremitting style.
Shi Lei, who is currently the vice dean of the Institute of Nuclear Research of Tsinghua University, was also a former student of Wang Dazhong, and he still clearly remembers that when he came to the Institute to study for a doctorate, Wang Dazhong taught him, a freshman who knew almost nothing about nuclear engineering, "Teacher Wang said, 'Nuclear engineering is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary discipline, it is not easy to learn, it is very 'bitter', to be mentally prepared, you need to sink your heart, endure loneliness, without the spirit of grinding a sword for ten years, you can't do great things. ’”
Shi Lei sighed, "After years of study and work, I really realized that it is precisely with this spirit of dedication and perseverance in innovation that the Institute of Nuclear Research can achieve one success after another in the field of advanced nuclear energy systems." ”
Shi Lei also recalled that Wang Dazhong revised his doctoral dissertation for himself, "Professor Wang was still the president of Tsinghua University at that time, and his daily work was very busy. But when he finished revising his doctoral dissertation, he actually asked me to discuss it carefully chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph. Shi Lei said bluntly that he was deeply touched at that time, "Teacher Wang not only gave specific revision suggestions from the overall logical framework and analysis of the paper, but also helped me point out even the errors of text punctuation and icon symbols." Mr. Wang's rigorous academic attitude has had a profound impact on my future scientific research work and guidance of students. ”
Although the matter is small, it is enough to glimpse the scientist's down-to-earth and rigorous and meticulous work in daily governance and scientific research work, and it is this kind of firm dedication that continues day after day for decades, and finally achieves Wang Dazhong's outstanding achievements in the field of nuclear energy.
In 1980, Wang Dazhong, while studying in Germany, provided a picture from Tsinghua University
From young students who are committed to building a reactor to serve the country, to "the leader who realizes the inherent safety of the reactor", those who know are not confused and believe in it.
Wang Dazhong said: "Our country is in the best period of development, scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement is the strategic support for our national development, all our scientific and technological workers must consciously contribute to the self-reliance and self-improvement of science and technology, and have an unshirkable responsibility." Scientific and technological innovation is our most important patriotic way, and I believe that as long as each of us has firm confidence and bravely moves forward, our country will have an infinite bright future. (End)
Source: China News Network