Fusion News

2022 has been a monumental year for fusion; this week alone was immensely groundbreaking. In today’s episode of Fusion News, Cyd Cowley, PhD student at the University of York, gives updates on some of the major fusion developments from this year (as a continuation from the highlight episode published over the summer).

Dr. Hazel Lowe, Head of Laser Diagnostics at Tokamak Energy, gives updates on the latest in fusion news from around the world. 

Links to the articles mentioned are included below. 

1. Tokamak Energy ST80-HTS hailed as next step to grid fusion 

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content... 

2. How do neutrons interact with reactor materials? 

https://phys.org/news/2022-10-neutron... 

3. Gigantic, 70-Foot Nuclear Fusion Gun Could Change the World 

https://www.newsweek.com/first-light-... 

4. General Atomics announces concept for Fusion Pilot Plant 

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Ar... 

Bonuses: 

Chinese researchers say they have made a huge breakthrough in their extraordinary pursuit of creating an artificial sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/2019945... 

China's new-generation 'artificial sun' makes a breakthrough https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-10-21... 

World’s First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Wants to Equal Fossil Fuel Output https://www.newsweek.com/nuclear-fusi... 

What is nuclear fusion? Harnessing the power of the sun in the quest for clean energy https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-...

This week’s episode of Fusion News is a summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Dr. Hazel Lowe, Plasma Diagnostician at Tokamak Energy. Links to all of the articles mentioned are below. 

1. Clean energy’s new hope: really fast lasers https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cl... 

Marvel Fusion article Dr. Lowe mentions: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaf... 

2. Experts chip away at corrosion for the future of fusion 

https://phys.org/news/2022-06-experts... 

3. UK to LEAD ‘new era’ of energy with huge breakthrough to harness power of stars on Earth https://www.express.co.uk/news/scienc... 

4. To Make Commercial Fusion a Reality, MIT Is Joining Forces With a Bill Gates-Backed Startup https://www.popularmechanics.com/scie... Bonuses: 

The Cable Podcast featuring Marvel Fusion CEO Moritz von der Linden at 22:50 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/... 

Articles from Phys.org on what happens at the very edge of a tokamak plasma https://phys.org/news/2022-06-unprece... https://phys.org/news/2022-06-feedbac...

With a plethora of news regarding new rounds of funding for fusion and big milestones being achieved, this months episode is a sit down with CEO of the Fusion Industry Association Andrew Holland.

We take a dive into some of the specific stories we have covered on the likes of Commonwealth Fusion System and Helion Energy but the conversation subsequently takes a wider approach looking at this funding in the context of wider fusion deveopment and the current global issues we are facing.

Watch us on youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/FusionIndustryAssociation

US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goal

In this months Fusion News Extra Ella Fox-Widdows chats to NIF's Dr Annie Kritcher about their most recent and exciting round of experiments. NIF broke their own record for fusion energy production with a whopping 1.35MJ. This was 70% of the energy input and is a massive step in the right direction for inertial confinement fusion. In this discussion, Ella and Annie discuss more about the science behind inertial confinement fusion, how these experiments were run and why they are so exciting. They then go on to discuss the future of the experiments and of fusion as a whole. This episode references the story discussed in the Fusion News on September 3rd and the links are below.

See the article here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58252784

and catch the episode here:

https://youtu.be/xKVWbTQnhew

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Fusion Energy: A Global Effort - A UK Opportunity

In this month's Fusion News Extra we chat to Assystem's Fanny Fouin about their report in collaboration with IMechE on the UK's opportunity for world leadership in fusion energy. The chat between our co-host Ella Fox-Widdows and Fanny outlines the report but also the discussion touches on some of the topics in more detail. The report is a fantastic read and an exciting one for both UK listeners and those abroad. 

The report is here:

https://www.assystem.com/en/fusion-energy-report/

and check out the story discussed on the Fusion News Episode here:

https://youtu.be/04rQ1P6AkKk

And check us out on socials:

https://twitter.com/Fusion_Industry?s=20

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Today’s news stories: 

1. MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy 

https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/cfs-commercial-fusion-power-with-hts-magnet 

https://news.mit.edu/2021/MIT-CFS-major-advance-toward-fusion-energy-0908 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/08/fusion-gets-closer-with-successful-test-of-new-kind-of-magnet.html

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/mit-backed-fusion-startup-hits-key-milestone-big-superconducting-magnets/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9972653/Magnet-milestones-distant-nuclear-fusion-dream-closer.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdoI1X5m96s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXLO3-7BRwQ 

2. Giant magnet could ease path to fusion energy

https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/571591-equilibrium-sustainability?rl=1 https://apnews.com/article/technology-sports-france-climate-environment-and-nature-029d14f22aaabe1a33030f612d8fc52a

3. Startup Seeks to Enable Pulsed Fusion

https://www.eetimes.com/startup-seeks-to-enable-pulsed-fusion/ 

4. Roadmap highlights materials route to fusion 

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/fusion-materials/ 

5. Curtain Call for the COMPASS Tokamak 

https://www.iter.org/newsline/-/3661 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAz6NqwZrU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86gT8JdwsMw&t=13s 

6. Negative Triangularity – A Positive for Tokamak Fusion Power Reactors https://scitechdaily.com/negative-triangularity-a-positive-for-tokamak-fusion-power-reactors/ 

Bonus: The Miracle Cure for All Our Energy Woes? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/books/review/the-star-builders-arthur-turrell.html 

Is The World Investing Enough In Nuclear Fusion Research? https://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-investing-enough-nuclear-fusion-220000377.html https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Is-The-World-Investing-Enough-In-Nuclear-Fusion-Research.html 

Fusion breakthrough dawns a new era for US energy and industry https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/571722-fusion-breakthrough-dawns-a-new-era-for-us-energy-and-industry

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Gaming graphics card allows faster, more precise control of fusion energy experiments...

In this month's Fusion News Extra we take time to chat about a recent study conducted by CT Fusion at the University of Washington. This involved the use of GPUs to better control fusion plasma and how to keep the reaction going to stop it petering out. We are joined by Derek Sutherland, CEO and co-founder of CT Fusion, along with Kyle Morgan, a research scientist at the University of Washington. The discussion centres around the use of computers in fusion to control plasma and delves into its use with their unique concept fusion device: the Dynomak. The episode discusses the technicalities but also the overarching use of computers in fusion and where it is going next.

Check out the story discussed on the Fusion News Episode here:

https://youtu.be/u2_8HbXcn5Q

And check us out on socials:

https://twitter.com/Fusion_Industry?s=20

And CT Fusion:

https://twitter.com/ctfusion_inc?s=20

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This week we have a summer special for you!

Some of our presenters here chare their favourite stories from the year gone by. From virtual plasma physics experiments to spreading heat out on the divertor, the presenters share their best bits!

Hear from Erica Salazar, Cyd Cowley, Hazel Lowe, Leigh Ann Kesler and Melanie Windridge as they tell us what their favourite stories have been from the past year, and why

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Fusion plant backed by Jeff Bezos to be built in UK - In this episode of our monthly podcast we chat to Jay Brister - Chief Business Development Officer at General Fusion - about their plans to build their demonstration plant in the UK at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in the UK.

Ella Fox-Widdows chats to Jay about General Fusion's mission, why they chose this site and the exciting timelines of getting fusion energy ready for the grid as early as possible. They go on to talk about a common theme in fusion - public-private partnerships and discuss further their plans for the plant in the UK.

You can find out more about General Fusion and their road to fusion on their fantastic YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2rf7GIcASHg___QdrIwSw

Watch the Fusion News update referenced in this episode here: https://youtu.be/Ax8c80fgPUo

or listen to the Fusion News episode in podcast form on your podcast app!

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Spreading out the heat and mega magnets!

In this episode of our Extra podcast the Fusion News Extra co-hosts Emre and Ella discuss some of the most recent fusion news described in the main Fusion News episodes in greater depth. This conversation centres around the MAST-U Super-X divertor and delivery of the massive central solenoid at ITER. Links to the stories discussed are below:

MAST-U Super-X:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a36559078/nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-uk-reactor-experiment/

Delivery of ITER's central solenoid:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2280763-worlds-most-powerful-magnet-being-shipped-to-iter-fusion-reactor/

Mind-boggling magnets could unlock plentiful power - This episode of our monthly podcast is centred on the work that the High Temperature Superconductor Magnet team at Tokamak Energy are working on to develop High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) for use in their fusion machines! 

In this episode Ella Fox-Widdows is joined by Greg Brittles, the Senior High Temperature Superconductor Magnet Engineer, Rod Bateman, the HTS Magnet Development Manager and Robert Slade, the Director of Technology Development at Tokamak Energy, a private fusion company in Oxfordshire, where they discuss what high temperature superconductors are, why they're important for fusion, and Tokamak Energy's approach that utilises the spherical tokamak design.

You can find more information about High Temperature Superconductors and the research at Tokamak Energy on the Tokamak Energy YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fI6Y-CBMk&t=11s

Watch the Fusion News update referenced in this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1QSQOUxJZo&t=74s

or listen to the Fusion News episode in podcast form on your podcast app!

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Nuclear-Fusion Firm Hits Funding Record With Plasma Breakthrough - our monthly series this time focuses on TAE Technologies new plasma breakthrough. Artem Smirnov, Chief Technology Officer, joins Emre Yildirim to discuss this new feat, the new funding, and the direction of the company with optimism for the entire fusion community littered throughout.

You can watch the Fusion News that this episdode references here:

https://youtu.be/_wr4Uh1TGSo

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Hydrogen fusion start-up HB11 Energy hits $4.8m in oversubscribed pre-seed raise - in our monthly series Ella Fox-Widdows discusses the first round of pre-seed funding for the Australian start-up HB11 Energy with co-Founder and Managing Director Warren McKenzie. The conversation centres around the company's recent round of funding, their innovative approach to fusion and the being a fusion start up in Australia.

This conversation references our news round-up on Friday 5th March that you can catch up on here:

https://youtu.be/XpxHPCQ4Rzc

or directly in your podcast app!

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Fuel for world's largest fusion reactor ITER set for a test run - Emre Yildirim dives into this story with Lorne Horton, Programme Leader at the Joint European Torus (JET).

This episode references our story in our main segment on March 5th highlighting the recent commencing of the JET deuterium-tritium fusion campaign. The discussion involves the aim of the campaign and why it's needed now, but also branches out into a wider discussion on the public network of fusion research.

You can watch the video version of the referenced story here:

https://youtu.be/XpxHPCQ4Rzc

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US power plant plans, fuel test-run, oversubscribed fundraise and HTS magnet licence agreement.


A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Paul Barron, a PhD student at the University of Manchester. Links to all the articles mentioned are below for further reading. Fusion news stories discussed:

1. Road map to U.S. fusion power plant comes into clearer focus—sort of
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/02/road-map-us-fusion-power-plant-comes-clearer-focus-sort

2. Fuel for world’s largest fusion reactor ITER is set for test run
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00408-1

3. Hydrogen fusion startup HB11 Energy hits $4.8m in oversubscribed pre-seed raise
https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/articles/hydrogen-fusion-startup-hb11-energy-hits--4-8m-in-oversubscribed-pre-seed-raise.html

4. Tokamak Energy and Paul Scherrer Institute sign a collaboration and license agreement for HTS magnet technology
https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tokamak-energy-and-paul-scherrer-institute-sign-a-collaboration-and-license-agreement-for-hts-magnet-technology-845108777.html

Bonus content:
1. Scientists use supercomputers to study reliable fusion reactor design, operation
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-scientists-supercomputers-reliable-fusion-reactor.html

2. Carbon Capture, Hydrogen, Fission Or Fusion: Which Can Take Us To Net-Zero By 2050?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/walvanlierop/2021/02/25/carbon-capture-hydrogen-fission-or-fusion-which-can-take-us-to-net-zero-by-2050/

3. Nuclear fusion: building a star on Earth is hard, which is why we need better materials
https://theconversation.com/nuclear-fusion-building-a-star-on-earth-is-hard-which-is-why-we-need-better-materials-155917

Fusion News Extra podcast featuring a chat between Ella Fox-Widows and Dr. Alex Creely of Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

The discussion references one of our covered stories on 22nd January 2021 regarding the Department of Energy's new long-range plan to deliver fusion energy. It then branches out into wider topics of how CFS fits in with this plan and the delivery of fusion energy to the energy mix.

You can watch the video version of the referenced story here:

https://youtu.be/BfMJTzkLB1E

Or listen to it here in your podcast app!

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A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Ella Fox-Widdows, a Plasma Physics for Fusion Energy PhD student at the University of Liverpool.

See the video version here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfMJTzkLB1E&ab_channel=FusionIndustryAssociation

A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Dr. Leigh Ann Kesler, a consultant specializing in science communication and the evaluation of superconducting materials.

See the video version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa1emiR4Yr4&ab_channel=FusionIndustryAssociation

A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Cyd Cowley, a PhD student at the University of York.

See the video version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa1emiR4Yr4&ab_channel=FusionIndustryAssociation

A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Erica Salazar, PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and research student in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. 

Catch the video version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa1emiR4Yr4&ab_channel=FusionIndustryAssociation