Focused Energy completes first milestones on US fusion programme
Focused Energy has completed a scientific report detailing its initial high-gain target design based on direct-drive laser inertial fusion, the first of its Milestones in the US Department of Energy's Milestone-based Fusion Development Program.
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May last year that eight fusion companies had been selected to share USD46 million to advance designs and research and development for fusion power plants. The aim was that "within five to 10 years, the eight awardees will resolve scientific and technological challenges to create designs for a fusion pilot plant that will help bring fusion to both technical and commercial viability".
Focused Energy was founded as a technology spin-off of the University of Darmstadt and National Energetics to commercialise fusion and is based in German and the USA. Its approach to creating nuclear fusion power uses a focused proton beam to ignite millimetre-scale sphere deuterium/tritium fuel targets to create fusion reactions, which it says builds on the work achieved by the National Ignition Facility laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The first of its milestones reached was the completed design report, with the second milestone being the successful completion of an experiment at the Laboratory for Advanced Laser for Extreme Photonics at Colorado State University to measure and optimise laser-generated proton focusing. It also tested the ability to produce and align targets at high repetition rates using its in-house target laboratory.
Focused Energy CEO Scott Mercer said: "Focused Energy is pleased to have completed our first science and technology milestones under the Department of Energy’s milestone-based fusion development programme. In doing so, our team of world-class scientists has taken a meaningful step toward answering the design and engineering questions needed to improve gain and develop a workable design for fusion fuel targets. With continued support from the Department of Energy, we look forward to helping bring fusion to commercial viability."
The other seven companies in the DOE programme are: Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Princeton Stellarators, Realta Fusion, Tokamak Energy, Type One Energy Group, Xcimer Energy and Zap Energy.
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