Sandia’s Z machine receives funding aimed at fusion energy

Eurekalert 29-JUN-2015 Laser beam ‘smoothing’ with University of Rochester to play key role IMAGE: AMPLIFIED LIGHT PASSES THROUGH THE LARGE TUBES OF SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES’ Z-BEAMLET LASER, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD. CREDIT: RANDY MONTOYA, SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A two-year, $3.8 million award has been received by Sandia National … Read more

Clean boron fusion using extreme laser pulses

Spie Heinrich Hora 14 July 2015 A laser-driven technique to ignite hydrogen-boron fuel offers the possibility of nuclear fusion for clean, sustainable energy generation. For more than 70 years, scientists have sought to harness energy from nuclear fusion as the ultimate sustainable power source. Initially, they considered fusion of heavy and very heavy hydrogen isotopes … Read more

Could The ‘Fusion Engine’ Become a Reality Before 2020?

Yahoo news Aug 27, 2015 Fusion has always been maligned by the old joke that it is a breakthrough technology that is just 20 years away…and always will be. Indeed, fusion energy has failed to materialize despite decades of hype. Although the idea has repeatedly disappointed, the concept of generating energy from fusion is still … Read more

U.S. fusion program must have energy mission

The Hill By Caroline Von Wurden and Andrew Holland January 13, 2015 Fusion energy research holds the promise of clean, safe, and secure energy. It is not an exaggeration to say that developing fusion energy would revolutionize America’s energy security, climate policy, and global scientific leadership. However, despite decades of path-breaking scientific research, the U.S. … Read more

Secretive fusion company makes reactor breakthrough

Science Daniel Clery 24 August 2015 FOOTHILL RANCH, CALIFORNIA—In a suburban industrial park south of Los Angeles, researchers have taken a significant step toward mastering nuclear fusion—a process that could provide abundant, cheap, and clean energy. A privately funded company called Tri Alpha Energy has built a machine that forms a ball of superheated gas—at … Read more

General Fusion successfully crowdsourced an engineering solution to a problem on their nuclear fusion project

Next Big Future : brian wang on 8/19/2015 In April, General Fusion issued a crowdsourcing challenge to come up with a written proposal for a “robust seal technology” capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and repetitive hammering for the purpose of isolating “the molten lead from the vacuum” inside their fusion reactor. And after examining the … Read more

Fusion Paths not taken

the Last Tech Age 2014/12/30 Do magnetized plasma targets offer options for smaller, cheaper fusion power? In this part -2 of our Paths Not Followed series, we discuss 3 proposals that show promise of being fusion game changers. All consider manipulating blobs of plasma isolated from any coils that generate magnetic fields for confinement. All … Read more

Iran to continue its nuclear fusion research, development: Top nuclear official

Iran Press TV Thu Aug 13, 2015 Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi (Photo by Tasnim news agency) Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says the Islamic Republic will continue research and development (R&D) activities in the field of nuclear energy. “We would … Read more

Nuclear fusion reactor in just five years?

Treehugger.com Christine Lepisto August 11, 2015 Illustration courtesy of the MIT ARC team The greatest fusion reactor in our neighborhood sends energy free for the harvesting from about 8 light-minutes away, where it safely burns and flares without any help at all from the small, blue marble that orbits it once a year. But expansion … Read more