Alternative fusion devices: Difference between revisions
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The mainstream [[tokamak]], [[stellarator]], [[spheromak]] and [[Reversed Field Pinch]] designs may achieve energy production by fusion in the future, but it remains to be seen whether these designs will lead to economically viable and attractive power plants, as fusion reactors based on these designs will almost certainly need to be very large. | The mainstream [[tokamak]], [[stellarator]], [[spheromak]] and [[Reversed Field Pinch]] designs may achieve energy production by fusion in the future, but it remains to be seen whether these designs will lead to economically viable and attractive power plants, as fusion reactors based on these designs will almost certainly need to be very large. | ||
Given this situation, there is considerable interest in developing alternative designs | Given this situation, there is considerable interest in developing alternative designs. | ||
<ref>D. Clery, [[doi:10.1126/science.345.6195.370|Science ''345'', 6195 (2014) 370]]</ref> | Their common goal is to achieve fusion power generation at lower cost by exploiting the hypothetical improved plasma confinement properties of a different magnetic field configuration (or other design features), which would allow a reduced size of the power plant. | ||
Currently, none of the alternative designs have achieved these potential benefits. | <ref>D. Clery, ''Fusion's restless pioneers'', [[doi:10.1126/science.345.6195.370|Science '''345''', 6195 (2014) 370]]</ref> | ||
<ref>M.M. Waldrop, ''Plasma physics: The fusion upstarts'', [http://www.nature.com/news/plasma-physics-the-fusion-upstarts-1.15592 Nature '''511''', 7510 (2014)]</ref> | |||
Currently, none of the alternative designs have achieved these potential benefits<ref>D. Clery, ''Ouside insights: alternative fusion'', [https://www.euro-fusion.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Newsletter/EUROfusion%20Fusion%20in%20Europe/EUROfusion_Fusion_in_Europe_2019_Sept.pdf Fusion in Europe, Summer 2019, p. 14]</ref><ref>P. Ball, ''The chase for fusion energy'', [https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-021-03401-w/index.html Nature, 2021]</ref>. | |||
== Alternative designs and associated companies == | == Alternative designs and associated companies == | ||
* [https://www.typeoneenergy.com/ Type One Energy] - a stellarator design with optimized turbulent transport | |||
* [https://cfs.energy/ Commonwealth Fusion Systems]<ref>''MIT launches multimillion-dollar collaboration to develop fusion energy'', [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02966-3 Nature News, 9 March 2018] </ref> | |||
* [http://www.psfc.mit.edu/ldx/ Levitated Dipole Experiment] | * [http://www.psfc.mit.edu/ldx/ Levitated Dipole Experiment] | ||
* [[:wikipedia:Tri Alpha Energy, Inc.|Tri Alpha Energy]] | * [http://www.tokamakenergy.com/ Tokamak energy Ltd.] - Compact Spherical [[Tokamak]] | ||
* [[:wikipedia:Polywell|Polywell]] | * [https://tae.com Tri Alpha Energy] Colliding beam reactor <ref>[[:wikipedia:Tri Alpha Energy, Inc.|Tri Alpha Energy]]; L. Grossman, ''Inside the Quest for Fusion, Clean Energy’s Holy Grail'', [http://time.com/4082939/inside-the-quest-for-fusion-clean-energys-holy-grail/ Time, Oct. 22, 2015]</ref> | ||
* [http://www.generalfusion.com/ General Fusion] | * [[:wikipedia:Polywell|Polywell]] - EMC2 company | ||
* [http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/ LPP Fusion] Dense Plasma Focus | * [http://www.generalfusion.com/ General Fusion] - Magnetized target reactor | ||
* Compact Fusion | * [http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/ LPP Fusion] - Dense Plasma Focus | ||
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/compact-fusion.html Compact Fusion] - Lockheed Martin (Skunkworks)<ref>D. Clery, ''Updated: Are old secrets behind Lockheed's new fusion machine?'', [http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2014/10/updated-are-old-secrets-behind-lockheeds-new-fusion-machine Science, 17 October 2014]</ref> | |||
* [http://appliedfusionsystems.com/ Applied Fusion Systems]<ref>[https://bdaily.co.uk/entrepreneurship/09-03-2017/a-former-made-in-chelsea-star-is-looking-to-raise-200m-to-build-nuclear-fusion-reactors A former Made in Chelsea star is looking to raise £200m to build nuclear fusion reactors]</ref> | |||
* [https://firstlightfusion.com/ First Light Fusion]<ref>''The Fusion Reactor Next Door'', [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/business/fusion-energy-climate-change.html?utm_medium=techboard.tue.20190514&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign New York Times, May 13 (2019)]</ref> - projectile-based inertial fusion | |||
* Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX)<ref>''Magneto-inertial fusion experiment nears completion'' [https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-10/aps-mfe100919.php EurekAlert, Oct 21 (2019)]</ref> | |||
* [https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/ Kyoto Fusioneering] | |||
* [https://www.zapenergyinc.com/ Zap Energy] - based on Z-pinch | |||
* [https://www.helicalfusion.com/en/ Helical Fusion] - Helical device (Heliotron) | |||
* [https://www.gauss-fusion.com/ Gauss Fusion] | |||
* [https://www.novatronfusion.com/ Novatron] - Mirror device | |||
== See also == | |||
* [https://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/fusionportal/Pages/FusDIS.aspx FusDIS] Fusion Device Information System (FusDIS): worldwide inventory of fusion devices, maintained by IAEA | |||
* [[Fusor]] | |||
* [[Single-Pointed Magnetic Confinement]] | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
Revision as of 08:30, 8 September 2024
Economically viable energy production based on nuclear fusion in a magnetic confinement device has not been demonstrated yet. The mainstream tokamak, stellarator, spheromak and Reversed Field Pinch designs may achieve energy production by fusion in the future, but it remains to be seen whether these designs will lead to economically viable and attractive power plants, as fusion reactors based on these designs will almost certainly need to be very large.
Given this situation, there is considerable interest in developing alternative designs. Their common goal is to achieve fusion power generation at lower cost by exploiting the hypothetical improved plasma confinement properties of a different magnetic field configuration (or other design features), which would allow a reduced size of the power plant. [1] [2] Currently, none of the alternative designs have achieved these potential benefits[3][4].
Alternative designs and associated companies
- Type One Energy - a stellarator design with optimized turbulent transport
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems[5]
- Levitated Dipole Experiment
- Tokamak energy Ltd. - Compact Spherical Tokamak
- Tri Alpha Energy Colliding beam reactor [6]
- Polywell - EMC2 company
- General Fusion - Magnetized target reactor
- LPP Fusion - Dense Plasma Focus
- Compact Fusion - Lockheed Martin (Skunkworks)[7]
- Applied Fusion Systems[8]
- First Light Fusion[9] - projectile-based inertial fusion
- Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX)[10]
- Kyoto Fusioneering
- Zap Energy - based on Z-pinch
- Helical Fusion - Helical device (Heliotron)
- Gauss Fusion
- Novatron - Mirror device
See also
- FusDIS Fusion Device Information System (FusDIS): worldwide inventory of fusion devices, maintained by IAEA
- Fusor
- Single-Pointed Magnetic Confinement
References
- ↑ D. Clery, Fusion's restless pioneers, Science 345, 6195 (2014) 370
- ↑ M.M. Waldrop, Plasma physics: The fusion upstarts, Nature 511, 7510 (2014)
- ↑ D. Clery, Ouside insights: alternative fusion, Fusion in Europe, Summer 2019, p. 14
- ↑ P. Ball, The chase for fusion energy, Nature, 2021
- ↑ MIT launches multimillion-dollar collaboration to develop fusion energy, Nature News, 9 March 2018
- ↑ Tri Alpha Energy; L. Grossman, Inside the Quest for Fusion, Clean Energy’s Holy Grail, Time, Oct. 22, 2015
- ↑ D. Clery, Updated: Are old secrets behind Lockheed's new fusion machine?, Science, 17 October 2014
- ↑ A former Made in Chelsea star is looking to raise £200m to build nuclear fusion reactors
- ↑ The Fusion Reactor Next Door, New York Times, May 13 (2019)
- ↑ Magneto-inertial fusion experiment nears completion EurekAlert, Oct 21 (2019)