New types of fusion reactor

@randomradio, @Parthu, @RASALGHUL, @Rajput Lion, @Innominate, @Picdelamirand-oil
www.nextbigfuture.com

First Light Fusion Makes Progress Towards an Economical Working Fusion Reactor | NextBigFuture.com

First Light Fusion is developing an inertial fusion with a pulsed process. They fire physical projectiles at high speeds like 40 kilometers per second to
www.nextbigfuture.com www.nextbigfuture.com

Machine 4 will have a stored electrical energy of about 100 megajoules with the capability of launching projectiles at 60 kms per second. This speed on impact inside the target will accelerate to about 200kms per second as a result of First Light’s exclusive amplifier technology.
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First Light is aiming for net energy gain with Machine 4 with fuel gain of 100 or more. This machine is the building block for the pilot power plant, validating First Light’s simulation codes, while de-risking the design of high-gain targets for power production.
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They are aiming for a power plant producing ~150 MW of electricity, firing once every 30 seconds, and costing less than $1 billion.
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Xcimer lands $100M to build fusion energy prototype

Xcimer lands $100M to build fusion energy prototype​


"...the startup’s plan is to leverage laser technology originally conceived as part of the US Strategic Defense Initiative (aka “Star Wars” program) of the 1980s, using 248 nm-emitting KrF sources that have since played a key role in semiconductor manufacturing as the light source in deep-ultraviolet lithography systems.

“Xcimer’s laser architecture will produce up to ten times higher laser energy at ten times higher efficiency and over 30 times lower cost per joule than the NIF laser system that achieved fusion scientific breakeven in December 2022,” it claims, with CEO Conner Galloway..."
 
oilprice.com

Will New Fusion Reactors Beat SMRs to Market? | OilPrice.com

Nuclear fusion may be closer to commercialization than previously thought, with private firms targeting operational reactors in the early 2030s.
oilprice.com oilprice.com
phys.org

Tokamak regime sustains stable fusion plasma for one minute while easing heat loads

For the first time, a research team has demonstrated, in a metal-wall environment, a plasma regime that simultaneously achieves partial divertor detachment, an edge-localized-mode (ELM)-free high-confinement mode (H-mode), and high pedestal performance. This integrated regime was sustained on a...
phys.org phys.org
 
BMD said:
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BMD said:
@randomradio, @Parthu, @RASALGHUL, @Rajput Lion, @Innominate, @Picdelamirand-oil
www.nextbigfuture.com

First Light Fusion Makes Progress Towards an Economical Working Fusion Reactor | NextBigFuture.com

First Light Fusion is developing an inertial fusion with a pulsed process. They fire physical projectiles at high speeds like 40 kilometers per second to
www.nextbigfuture.com www.nextbigfuture.com




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It seems First Light has given up on the Machine 4 demonstrator about a year ago:

firstlightfusion.com

First Light Fusion | News & Media | FIRST LIGHT FUSION ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC UPDATE

First Light Fusion’s hub for news and media insights, blogs and academic external publications.
firstlightfusion.com firstlightfusion.com

"This shift will significantly reduce First Light’s funding requirements while accelerating the path to revenue generation. First Light is therefore discontinuing the proposed development of its ‘Ignition’ demonstrator, “Machine 4”, to focus on advancing and commercialising its patented amplifier technology."

Looking at their more recent media releases, it seems they've fully pivoted toward amplifier sales at least for now:

firstlightfusion.com

First Light Fusion | News & Media

First Light Fusion’s hub for news and media insights, blogs and academic external publications.
firstlightfusion.com firstlightfusion.com

Maybe commercializing in this more limited sector will help them secure funding for continuing fusion research in the future, maybe not. Things aren't looking great for these fusion startups throughout the world:


I'll quote from my own 2023 post:

Fusion propulsion by 2027?? Mars in 15 days and Alpha Centauri in 11 years? Meet Pulsar Fusion!

www.strategicfront.org www.strategicfront.org

"There's dime a dozen 'fusion startups' popping up around the world with a few million $ in hand claiming that workable, sustainable fusion is right around the corner. On the other hand, large scale multinational endeavours like ITER with tens of billions in funding are doubtful of sustainable fusion even by 2050.

It should be noted that ITER is going in a very proven, traditional way of doing fusion (Tokamak) while a lot of these startups are trying a bunch of different things which are, to varying degrees, uncharted territory (stellarators, magneto-inertial etc.)...while I wouldn't rule out that thinking out of the box could prove to be successful, I simply have to say that this field of science is the sort of thing where solving one engineering problem presents you with two more.

Even with a base concept that was worked on for 50+ years like the Tokamak, ITER still runs into engineering & science problems that require solving before the next step can be taken.

I'm never one to discourage fresh thinking in STEM, especially wrt energy...but I'm always on my toes about who could be the next Theranos."
 
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