Inside the lab trying to commercialise nuclear fusion | BBC News

Fuse: Commercializing Nuclear Fusion - A Deep Dive

Key Concepts:

• Nuclear Fusion: Combining atomic nuclei to release energy.
• Pulsed Power Driver: A device that delivers energy in short, powerful bursts.
• Capacitors: Electronic components that store electrical energy.
• Switches: Devices that control the flow of electricity.
• Triggering System: A system that initiates the discharge of energy from capacitors.
• Energy Security: Ensuring a reliable and affordable supply of energy.
• Cost per Radiation: Reducing the expense associated with radiation-based technologies.

The Mission: Commercializing Nuclear Fusion

Fuse, a startup located south of Montreal, Canada, is focused on commercializing nuclear fusion, a process that powers the sun. The goal is to create a virtually limitless and clean energy source. The company aims to achieve this by decreasing the cost per radiation and making radiation more accessible, similar to how SpaceX lowered the cost per kilogram to orbit, unlocking space exploration.

Titan: The Pulsed Power Driver

Fuse has built "Titan," a pulsed power driver capable of producing the equivalent of 800 lightning strikes at once. Titan contains 476 capacitors and 238 custom-made switches. The core technology lies in the triggering system, which can trigger all 238 switches with less than 2 nanoseconds of delay or jitter.

• Technical Details: Titan operates at a one-terawatt scale.
• Challenges: Building Titan was a significant challenge, requiring the assembly of 40,000 parts.

The Team and Expertise

• JC: The young founder (24, turning 25) was inspired by his father, a nuclear physicist. He believes pursuing fusion as a startup is the fastest and most intellectually honest way to make progress.
• Fahed: The technical lead, formerly a top nuclear physicist in Iran.
• Attraction of Experts: The promise of clean, abundant energy production, supporting both the economy and national security, has attracted experienced individuals from national laboratories. One such expert spent 30 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Cost Reduction and Rapid Prototyping

Fuse is focused on reducing costs by manufacturing key components in-house. 75% of Titan's cost is attributed to three components, two of which are now built in-house at a fraction of the cost and with significantly reduced lead times (days instead of months or almost a year). The machine shop enables rapid prototyping and component building.

Control and Monitoring

The Titan control room provides live feedback on voltage, charge voltage, air delivery system pressure, and other parameters, all of which are software-controlled.

Global Competition and Funding

• Global Race: Billions of dollars are being invested globally to achieve nuclear fusion.
• Helion: Sam Altman-backed Helion secured $400 million in funding.
• China: China's "artificial sun" reactor is making significant progress.
• UK: The UK Atomic Energy Authority aims to open the world's first fusion power plant by 2040.

Energy Security and National Security

The video emphasizes that energy security is national security. Fuse is conscious of ensuring that this technology remains in the right hands.

The Test Fire

The video culminates in a test fire of Titan, with the team ramping up the voltage to assess the machine's performance.

• Quote: "Are you making history here? We have already made it. So we we we keep doing that."
• Quote: "Are we going to make a large contribution in solving uh this large monumental problem? Yes, we're already doing so."

Conclusion

Fuse is a startup tackling the complex challenge of commercializing nuclear fusion. Their approach focuses on innovation in pulsed power technology, cost reduction through in-house manufacturing, and attracting top talent. While the realization of practical nuclear fusion power is still potentially decades away, Fuse is determined to contribute significantly to solving this monumental problem.