Practical nuclear fusion milestone achieved with higher plasma pressure
UKAEA said the fifth campaign produced more than 1,100 fusion plasmas and tested control methods for future power plants.
- The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority announced that MAST Upgrade achieved record plasma pressure while maintaining stability, producing more than 1,100 fusion plasmas during its fifth experimental campaign through 2025 and 2026.
- High-Pressure plasma operation is necessary to generate more fusion power, yet Edge Localised Mode bursts can eject stored energy toward reactor walls, potentially threatening the economic viability of fusion energy.
- Separately, Zap Energy recorded plasma pressures up to 830 megapascals using its FuZE-3 device, which allows independent control of plasma acceleration and compression for enhanced performance.
- Real-Time automated control systems proved essential, with UKAEA implementing a new technique using visible light measurements to detect and manage plasma positioning during high-performance experiments.
- Industry researchers are integrating experimental findings into next-generation systems, with projects targeting commercial viability and operational fusion power plants by approximately 2035.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The economic realities of fusion power—a framework for understanding what it would take to be profitable
In the last decade, scientists have shown that fusion energy can work as a physical process. Next question: Can it work economically? A study co-authored by MIT professors Dennis Whyte and Andrew W. Lo proposes a framework for understanding what's needed to make fusion energy commercially viable in the marketplace. The method considers the physical inputs needed to sustain controlled fusion energy production, as well as the cost of building powe…
Fuse Touts ‘Highest’ Neutron Yield by Any Fusion Company
A California-based fusion energy company announced it has reached an industry milestone. Fuse Energy Technologies Corp. on August 10 published a report noting the company set a record for the highest fusion neutron yield—1.27×10¹² in a single shot—by any commercial fusion company. The post Fuse Touts ‘Highest’ Neutron Yield by Any Fusion Company appeared first on POWER Magazine.
A compact fusion machine just hit gigapascal pressures
Operating a new device named the Fusion Z-pinch Experiment 3, or FuZE-3, Zap Energy has now achieved plasmas with electron pressures as high as 830 megapascals (MPa), or 1.6 gigapascals (GPa) total, comparable to the pressures found deep below Earth’s crust.
Practical nuclear fusion milestone achieved with higher plasma pressure
A major achievement at the UK’s MAST Upgrade fusion facility could help solve one of the biggest challenges facing commercial nuclear fusion: how to create powerful plasma without allowing it to become unstable.The United Kingdom has taken another significant step towards practical nuclear fusion after scientists operating the MAST Upgrade machine achieved the highest plasma pressure ever recorded on the facility while keeping the plasma stable.…
GovCon Business Looms in Quest for Commercial Fusion Power
Commercial fusion energy could potentially provide a safe, abundant and carbon-free source of reliable primary energy, PPPL says. The post Ripe Opportunities Loom in Quest for First Commercial Fusion Power Plant first appeared on Executive Gov.
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