Articles tagged with "plasma-technology"
Zap Energy fusion test platform sets internal record in plasma shots
Zap Energy, a US-based fusion engineering company, has achieved a significant milestone with its Century test platform by operating over 100 plasma shots at a frequency of 0.2 Hz, delivering 39 kilowatts of power to the plasma chamber. This performance marks a 20-fold increase in sustained average power since the platform’s commissioning in 2024. The Century platform is designed to test the integration of key subsystems for a potential commercial fusion power plant, including a repetitive pulsed power system, durable electrodes, and liquid metal walls that absorb and transfer plasma energy. Importantly, the platform does not use fusion fuel or produce fusion reactions but provides crucial operational data on the system components. Zap Energy’s unique approach, called sheared-flow-stabilized (SFS) Z-pinch, confines and compresses plasma using a pulse of electricity and the plasma’s own magnetic field, avoiding the need for superconducting magnets or high-intensity lasers. Recent upgrades to the platform include a liquid metal
energyfusion-energyplasma-technologypulsed-power-systemliquid-metal-coolingZ-pinch-fusionpower-plant-technologySOSV bets plasma will change everything from semiconductors to spacecraft
SOSV, a venture capital firm, is making a significant bet on plasma technology, planning to invest in over 25 plasma-related startups within the next five years. The firm is also launching a new Hax lab in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to foster innovation in this space. Plasma, a state of matter created by compressing fuel until atoms fuse and release energy, holds promise far beyond fusion energy alone. Duncan Turner, SOSV’s general partner, highlights that the best applications of plasma are yet to be discovered, indicating vast untapped potential. Beyond fusion, SOSV has already invested in companies like Yplasma, which utilizes plasma actuators for cooling data center chips and optimizing airflow over wind turbine blades. Plasma’s role in semiconductor manufacturing could lead to breakthroughs in materials and processes, while plasma thrusters offer more fuel-efficient propulsion for spacecraft. Additionally, plasma technology could enable the production of valuable chemicals such as ammonia
energyplasma-technologyfusion-energysemiconductor-manufacturingspacecraft-propulsionrenewable-energyadvanced-materialsPlasma tech zaps air into clean ammonia without gas or pressure
Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a novel plasma-based technology that produces ammonia directly from air using electricity and artificial lightning, offering a cleaner, decentralized alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. Unlike the conventional method, which requires high heat, pressure, and fossil fuels, this new two-step approach excites nitrogen and oxygen molecules in air via plasma and then converts them into gaseous ammonia through a membrane-based electrolyzer. This innovation bypasses previous inefficiencies where ammonia was only produced in liquid ammonium form, enabling a more straightforward and scalable production of green ammonia, particularly beneficial for rural or off-grid areas. Ammonia is critical not only for fertilizer production, supporting nearly half of global food supply, but also as a potential carbon-free fuel and hydrogen carrier, with industries like shipping exploring its use to reduce emissions. The Sydney team’s plasma-electrolysis method has demonstrated viability in energy efficiency and scalability for the plasma component, though further improvements are needed for the electrolyzer’s efficiency.
energygreen-ammoniaplasma-technologysustainable-fertilizerhydrogen-storageclean-energymembrane-electrolyzerGoogle bets big on TAE’s cost-effective nuclear fusion reactor
energynuclear-fusionclean-powerTAE-TechnologiesGoogleAIplasma-technologyGoogle places another fusion power bet on TAE Technologies
energyfusion-powerTAE-Technologiesmachine-learningplasma-technologyinvestment-in-energyrenewable-energyNuclear reactors, semiconductors to get smarter with next-gen US plasma tech
energyplasma-technologynuclear-reactorssemiconductor-manufacturingcomputational-physicsindustrial-processessimulation-toolsRealta Fusion taps $36M in fresh funds for its fusion-in-a-bottle reactor
energyfusionclean-energypower-plantsplasma-technologyrenewable-energyenergy-innovation