General Fusion fires up its newest steampunk fusion reactor

General fusion It was announced on Tuesday that it was successfully created by the plasma, a prototype fourth in the fusion inside the fusion inside the fourth substance. The milestone remains an effective competitor for the decoration stimpok method for fusion power to prove that the milestone starts to search for 93 weeks.

Lawson Machine is a reactor known as 26 (LM 26) General fusionThe latest repeat on a string of devices that have tested different parts of its unique method. The company has combined the LM26 in just 16 months and hoping to hit the “Brekeven” in 2026.

General Fusion is one of the oldest Fusion Still operating. Established in 2002, it has collected $ 440 million dollars according to the pitchbook. During that period, it has seen the rise and fall of the contestants and failed to meet the breakven promises like a big writ like the fusion industry, one of which was made 20 years agoThe

On Fusion Power, there are two points where Breaknven is called a response. Most people think that commercial breaknven is called. It is only when a fusion reaction produces more energy than the whole facility consumes the power, allowing the power plant to keep electricity on the grid. No one has yet reached this milestone.

The other is known as the scientist Bakenven. In this case, the fusion reaction needs to be produced at least as much energy as it is supplied to the fuel. The scientist only shows within the bounds of the experimental system, ignoring the rest of the benefits. Nevertheless, this is an important milestone for any fusion effort. Till still, the United States Energy Department’s National Ignition Facility It has reachedThe

General Fusion’s view of Fusion Power is significantly different than other startups. The magnetic target fusion (MTF) is called, it is the same in the case of some internal imprisonment, the technique used by the National Ignition Facility Toward the end of 2022 Fusion reactions to prove that they can generate more energy than starting.

However, where the National Ignition Facility uses laser to compress the fuel pellet, the MTF reactor of General Fusion depends on the steam-powered piston. Inside the chamber, the duterium-triteium fuel is jap with some electricity to create magnetic field, which helps to include plasma. Pistons then driven a liquid lithium wall on the plasma, compress it.

As the fuel is compressed, its temperature increases until it spreads a fusion response. The reaction then heated the liquid lithium, which the company plans to promote steam and promote a generator through a heat exchanger to spin.

MTF appeared In the 1970s From the US Naval Research Laboratory, where researchers were developing ideas for compact fusion furnaces. This attempt does not produce fruit. General Fusion says that the pistons were not properly controlled by compressing the liquid liner and modern computers now provide better opportunities to implement complex choreography.

Whatever performs LM26, General Fusion still has more work to do. The device does not have a liquid lithium wall, instead depends on the solid lithium compressed by electronic magnetic. It takes more time to reset the device as the company limits the number of test runs that can run. There are agencies Has been in progress In a prototyle on a liquid wall, it tests more than 1000 to see how it holds over time, but integrating everything will still be a memorial engineering challenge.

The switch on LM26 is an important step for a company that is now racing to supply a power plant along with many new arrivals, including their own Pocketbook And aggressive deadline.