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In 2073, fusion energy is the norm, but only fifty years ago, it seemed like a laughable idea. In this letter, Dr. Tritium takes readers back to the pioneers of nuclear prosperity. There are now many different startups working on fusion energy, each with its own unique approach.
One of them, Zap Energy, uses a reactor core that is a long, narrow cylinder. They generate a high-energy plasma by stripping hydrogen gas of its electrons using an electric current. This plasma is then propelled through the chamber and is shot through with a current powerful enough to generate the magnetic field that condenses it.
Another company, Tokamak Energy Ltd, uses a strong toroidal magnetic field to contain and harvest neutrons. They have created a more compact device that is cheaper and better at manipulating plasma than other models.
Marvel Fusion GmbH uses short laser beams that are stretched and compressed inside a chamber to shoot into their reactor filled with a mixture of hydrogen and boron. They are planning to open their first facility by the end of 2023.
General Fusion has built a giant steam engine that uses a huge tank filled with liquid metal to form a cavity. They pump in hydrogen plasma and heat it to over 100 million degrees Celsius. They are working to replicate this reaction in a machine that can work repetitively.
TAE Technologies Inc. is working on two new machines – one is their commercial model, Da Vinci, which is planned for the early 2030s. They are also working on spinoffs, including TAE Life Sciences, which puts its science to work treating complex cancers.
Helion Energy Inc. uses a method called magneto-inertial fusion which they claim can harness energy more efficiently than big tokamaks or steam cycles, according to their chief business officer, Scott Krisiloff.
Finally, Commonwealth Fusion Systems is building a magnetic confinement reactor in the shape of a doughnut with fields spiraling around its surface. It started out as a project in a fusion design class at MIT and has since become a company with a tokamak that co-founder and Chief Science Officer Brandon Sorbom describes as a barber’s pole wrapped into a doughnut.
Overall, these various startups are taking unique approaches to trying to create fusion energy, and it seems that the future of energy production may be a combination of these methods.
