A group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) solved the biggest problem in the development of nuclear fusion power, which is the magnet.
As the researchers explain, it the solution can be incorporated into a viable reactor design, their research could give the world enough power for the last, most difficult part of the decarbonization effort.
Currently, the most viable options for decarbonizing transportation require vast quantities of green hydrogen. For this reason, making enough renewable electricity to produce that hydrogen may be a very steep challenge.
The option the researchers suggest is clean fusion power, created by fusing two hydrogen atoms into one helium atom. This requires the same conditions found within the heart of the sun. To achieve a sustained fusion reaction, researchers need to contain the gas within an extremely powerful magnetic field.
Now, on September 5, a joint MIT / CFS team set a new record for the strongest magnetic field from a high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet. Its brand-new design and materials are worlds apart from the gigantic superconducting magnets used in fusion power research to date.
The startup is hopeful that it can showcase net-positive energy from fusion in a test-scale reactor by 2025. It also hopes that this will pave the way for the first commerical-scale fusion power plant ever built.
