Articles tagged with "fusion-reactors"
Avalanche thinks the fusion power industry should think smaller
Avalanche, a fusion startup led by co-founder and CEO Robin Langtry, advocates for a smaller-scale approach to nuclear fusion, contrasting with the large reactors or extensive laser arrays commonly envisioned in the industry. Their method uses extremely high-voltage electric currents to confine plasma particles in orbit around an electrode, supplemented by modest magnetic fields, rather than relying on the powerful magnets of tokamaks or laser compression techniques. This compact design, with current reactors only nine centimeters in diameter, enables rapid experimentation and iteration—sometimes twice weekly—accelerating development compared to the slower, costlier testing cycles of larger devices. Inspired by Langtry’s experience at Blue Origin and the “new space” approach popularized by SpaceX, Avalanche aims to scale up their reactor to 25 centimeters, targeting about 1 megawatt of power output and improved plasma confinement time, which is critical for achieving a fusion gain (Q) greater than one, meaning more energy produced than consumed. Avalanche recently raised $29 million
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionclean-energyplasma-physicsfusion-reactorsenergy-innovationUS firm to produce high-purity materials for fusion, fission reactors
US-based EnergyX has launched NUKE-it, a nuclear materials technology platform aimed at addressing critical supply chain shortages that hinder the global advancement of fusion energy. The company focuses on producing specialized, high-purity materials domestically, particularly 15% enriched Lithium-6 (Li-6), essential for tritium breeding in fusion reactors. By supplying nuclear-grade lithium salts engineered for reactor-grade performance, EnergyX aims to fill a significant supply gap that currently limits national laboratories and private fusion developers from scaling fusion technology commercially. In addition to fusion, EnergyX’s NUKE-it platform produces ultra-high-purity Lithium-7 (Li-7), vital for coolant systems in fission-based thorium reactors, such as molten salt reactors (MSRs). These reactors require Li-7 compounds like FLiBe and FLiNaK for thermal stability and low neutron absorption, but existing suppliers have struggled to meet purity standards. EnergyX leverages its proprietary lithium extraction and conversion technologies, originally developed for electric
energynuclear-energyfusion-reactorslithium-materialsclean-energyadvanced-materialsenergy-supply-chainUS fusion facility to test powerful materials under extreme heat flux
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Energy Complex in Tennessee is preparing to host a new high-heat flux (HHF) testing facility, a collaborative project involving the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Type One Energy, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, the facility will simulate the extreme heat flux conditions found in fusion reactors—targeting steady-state heat loads exceeding 10 megawatts per square meter—to test plasma-facing components (PFCs) that must endure intense operational stresses. This will be the second such facility in the U.S. and the most powerful, uniquely featuring pressurized helium gas cooling, which is favored in several domestic fusion reactor designs due to helium’s chemical stability under fusion conditions. The Bull Run site, already home to Type One Energy’s Infinity One stellarator testbed, is envisioned as a fusion development campus integrating research from ORNL, UT, and industry partners. ORNL
energyfusion-energyhigh-heat-flux-testingmaterials-sciencefusion-reactorsthermal-managementenergy-researchHow nuclear propulsion shaped early interstellar vehicle design
The article explores how nuclear propulsion technologies influenced the early design of interstellar spacecraft, particularly during the Cold War era. With the realization that the Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars and potentially up to a trillion planets, scientists began seriously considering interstellar travel. Early spacecraft concepts from the mid-20th century were large, ambitious, and costly, but over time designs have shifted toward smaller, automated probes requiring minimal human intervention. The Cold War period (1950–1963) was pivotal, as breakthroughs in nuclear fission and fusion reactors spurred efforts by the U.S. and USSR to develop nuclear rocket propulsion systems. Three main categories of nuclear propulsion emerged: External Nuclear Rockets (ENRs), which use nuclear explosions outside the spacecraft to generate thrust but produce hazardous radiation; Internal Nuclear Rockets (INRs), which use a contained fission reactor to heat propellant or generate electricity but lack the power to escape the Solar System; and Fission-Fragment Rockets (FFRs), which use
energynuclear-propulsioninterstellar-spacecraftspace-technologyfusion-reactorsrocket-enginesspace-explorationTrump Media pivots to fusion energy with $6B AI-focused merger
Trump Media & Technology Group is making a significant strategic shift by merging with fusion energy startup TAE Technologies in a deal valued at over $6 billion. This all-stock merger will create one of the first publicly traded nuclear fusion companies, combining Trump Media’s social media platform Truth Social with TAE’s experimental clean energy technology. The new entity plans to build a utility-scale fusion power plant as early as next year, aiming to supply electricity to AI data centers, which have rapidly growing energy demands. TAE brings substantial scientific expertise and financial backing from major investors like Google, Chevron, and Goldman Sachs, having already developed five fusion reactors and raised over $1.3 billion in private funding. The merger has sparked concerns about conflicts of interest given the regulatory and public funding requirements of fusion energy, especially with Donald Trump owning about 41% of Trump Media stock. Critics warn that Trump’s involvement could complicate government oversight. The announcement coincides with regulatory moves to facilitate direct connections between tech companies’ data centers
energynuclear-fusionAI-data-centersclean-energyfusion-reactorsenergy-mergerTAE-TechnologiesNuclear fusion reactors could deliver endless power with new alloys
Researchers at the University of Miami, led by mechanical engineer Giacomo Po, are advancing the development of materials critical for nuclear fusion reactors, which promise clean and virtually limitless energy by replicating the Sun’s fusion process. Po’s team uses nanoscale techniques, including focused ion beams and electron microscopy, to study how metal alloys behave under extreme stress, heat, and radiation—conditions typical inside fusion reactors. Current materials like tungsten, though strong and heat-resistant, have limitations, prompting exploration of high-entropy alloys composed of five or more elements in near-equal proportions. These alloys offer enhanced strength, corrosion resistance, and thermal stability, but their durability under radiation-induced deformation (“irradiation creep”) remains uncertain. To address this, Po’s group combines high-temperature deformation experiments with advanced computer modeling to better understand and predict alloy performance, aiming to improve their resilience in fusion environments. Supported by U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation grants, their work contributes to a global collaborative effort involving multiple
energynuclear-fusionhigh-entropy-alloysmaterials-sciencefusion-reactorsmetal-alloysclean-energyNuclear waste could supply rare hydrogen fuel for US fusion reactors
Scientists in the United States are exploring a novel method to recycle nuclear waste to produce tritium, a rare isotope of hydrogen essential for nuclear fusion reactors. Nuclear fusion, which fuses atoms to release large amounts of nearly emission-free energy, requires both deuterium and tritium as fuel. While deuterium is abundant, tritium is scarce and expensive, with current commercial prices around $15 million per pound. The US lacks domestic tritium production capability and relies on limited global supplies, primarily from Canadian reactors. Given the US’s vast stockpiles of radioactive nuclear waste from fission power plants, researchers see an opportunity to generate tritium from this waste, potentially turning a costly disposal problem into a valuable resource. Physicist Terence Tarnowsky at Los Alamos National Laboratory conducted computer simulations of reactor designs that use particle accelerators to initiate atom-splitting reactions in nuclear waste. These reactions release neutrons that, through subsequent nuclear transitions, produce trit
energynuclear-fusiontritium-productionnuclear-waste-recyclingclean-energyparticle-acceleratorfusion-reactorsNew AI method accelerates plasma heat defense in reactors
Researchers from Commonwealth Fusion Systems, the DOE’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new AI method called HEAT-ML to accelerate the protection of fusion reactors from extreme plasma heat. HEAT-ML enhances the existing Heat flux Engineering Analysis Toolkit (HEAT) by using a deep neural network trained on about 1,000 SPARC tokamak simulations to rapidly generate 3D “shadow masks.” These masks identify regions of the reactor’s inner walls shielded from direct plasma contact, which is critical to preventing damage from plasma temperatures exceeding those at the Sun’s core. Traditional HEAT simulations can take up to 30 minutes per run, whereas HEAT-ML produces results in milliseconds, dramatically speeding up the design and operational decision-making processes for fusion systems. The AI was initially tested on 15 tiles near the bottom of SPARC’s exhaust system, the area expected to experience the highest heat loads. By quickly and accurately locating magnetic shadows, HEAT-ML supports
energyfusion-energyAI-in-energyplasma-heat-managementfusion-reactorstokamakenergy-technologyHow China’s CHSN01 super steel could shrink fusion reactors, cut costs
China has developed a new high-strength steel alloy, CHSN01, designed to revolutionize fusion reactor construction by enabling smaller, more cost-effective tokamaks. Traditional fusion projects like ITER have relied on cryogenic stainless steels such as 316LN, which have yield strengths limited to about 0.9–1.1 GPa at liquid-helium temperatures and lose ductility after repeated stress cycles. These limitations cap ITER’s magnetic field at 11.8 tesla and necessitate large, expensive reactor designs. In contrast, CHSN01 can withstand magnetic fields up to 20 tesla and combined electromagnetic stresses of 1.3 GPa, while maintaining about 30% ductility before breaking. It also retains these properties after 60,000 on/off cycles, matching the operational demands of China’s Burning-Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST). The alloy’s superior performance stems from precise chemical engineering: starting with a nitrogen-strengthened austenitic steel base (
materialssteelfusion-reactorssuperconducting-magnetscryogenic-materialshigh-strength-alloysenergy-materialsProxima Fusion joins the club of well-funded nuclear contenders with €130M Series A
Proxima Fusion, a German nuclear fusion startup, has raised €130 million (about $148 million) in a Series A funding round led by Balderton Capital and Cherry Ventures. This brings its total funding to over €185 million ($200 million), positioning Proxima as a leading European contender in the race to develop commercial fusion energy. The company focuses on stellarator reactors, which use twisted magnetic fields to confine plasma more stably than the more common tokamak designs. Proxima’s Stellaris design, developed near Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, represents a significant technical milestone that helped secure the oversubscribed funding round. CEO Francesco Sciortino emphasized that the new capital will enable Proxima to reach critical milestones, including a key hardware demonstration planned for 2027, with the goal of advancing toward commercial viability by around 2031. The funding round attracted primarily European investors, reflecting a broader ambition for Europe to play a leadership role in the global energy transition by developing clean, stable, and uranium-free fusion power. Proxima operates across multiple European countries, with headquarters in Munich and research teams in Switzerland and the UK, underscoring its pan-European identity and commitment to building a sustainable energy future on the continent.
energynuclear-fusionclean-energyfusion-startupsventure-capitalenergy-securityfusion-reactorsNew tech reveals plasma turbulence secrets for nuclear reactors
energynuclear-fusionplasma-turbulencecomplex-systemsquantum-mechanicsfusion-reactorsmulti-field-analysis