Scalable, Aneutronic-Fusion Energy

Eventually, nuclear fusion may provide unlimited, clean-electric power. Elements of this vision emerged nearly a century ago, stimulating the active engagement of the worldwide scientific and engineering communities. Integrated over the past half-century billions of dollars have been invested in a multitude of fusion concepts. These investments have begun to pay off in recent years accelerating the rate of discovery in key areas, as characterized by the emergence of dozens of private enterprises and  dramatically increased worlwide government support.   

One critically important benchmark for this progress is measured by the attainment of "scientific breakeven", where the nuclear reaction's output energy exceeds the input energy needed to heat the fuel core.  Results obtained in recent laser fusion experiments are the example most cited by fusion scientists, investors, and government officials. This achievement is the only example to date where this benchmark has been attained. Nevertheless, two more benchmarks must be achieved before the deployment of fusion energy will be a complete success. 

The  next benchmark is "engineering breakeven" which  is a measure of the "total" energy needed to sustain the reaction in a reactor configuration, not just heat the fuel core as in scientific breakeven above. And beyond that we can define  "commercial breakeven"  where the total cost needed to produce the output energy is less than commercial energy alternatives, for example those based on nuclear fission, fossil fuels, renewables, etc. 

Fusion proponents are often asked when fusion energy will be "on the grid," with credible projections ranging  from a few years to decades, reflecting the significant obstacles that must still  be resolved.  For example, based upon current designs fusion power plant concepts face unprecedented challenges, related to their: 

• extreme complexity, vulnerability to single-point failures, and lack of  long duration operational experience,  

• an inadequate supply of the nuclear fuel required for operation which is an isotope of hydrogen called tritium and which therefore be "manufactured" by nuclear breeding; 

• a "first-wall" radiation- and neutron-flux density that exceeds the capabilities of all presently known structural materials in configurations that are resistant to damage and can survive for many years without replacement; 

• public concerns related to a  power source that uses radioactive fuels and produces nuclear pollution, the hazards of which remain largely untested;

• capital investments in the many tens of billions of dollars, for which the commercial-sector risks are unprecedented and unknown;

• the potentially disruptive competition from a mix of alternative, renewable-energy technologies that have  achieved cost-parity with fossil fuels and are likely to become less expensive in the future. 

The potential impact of fusion as a non-polluting, ubiqutious-energy source is too significant to ignore and efforts to address these issues require innovation, development, and testing for many years to come. One specific approach that has been largely overlooked in the global, nuclear fusion arms race  are alternative approaches  based on the use of fusion fuels that do not produce neutrons. Such fuel stocks are commonly referred to as "aneutronic" and their supplies are abundant and inexpensive. 

Aneutronic fusion could mitigate technical challenges related to sustainability of the first-wall and radioactivity produced in "by-product" reactions. Moreover, this approach may also enable the development of  scalable-reactor designs, producing a wide range of single-unit power outputs,  potentially in the range of megawatts (MW) to gigawatts (GW). Small-scale fusion systems at the lower end of this range would be  transformative, unlocking applications in transportation, manufacturing, off-grid living,  extraterrestrial environments, etc. Fortunately, with such transformative opportunities, there remains an appetite for innovative concepts that are  disruptive. 

Our team is actively pursuing the development of one such approach which leverages a confinement geometry that is scalable  and which uses a novel method to  heat the plasma. We invite potential collaborators to help realize this vision and play a pivotal role in securing a sustainable future for our only planet.