FusionDoc
@kafternicus.bsky.social
Ph.D in Nuclear Engineering building on fusion science to realize fusion power plants short term.
This is actually a big deal if it can be put to use in power plants. The dirty little secret of MFE is that the diverter takes on so much power, you won't be able to cool it in a full scale power plant. 10x may not even be enough to fix that problem, but it sure helps!
Super-X exhaust with long 'legs' could reduce nuclear reactor heat
Researchers at the UK's MAST Upgrade facility have successfully tested an innovative 'Super-X' exhaust system.
interestingengineering.com
September 13, 2025 at 8:18 AM
This is actually a big deal if it can be put to use in power plants. The dirty little secret of MFE is that the diverter takes on so much power, you won't be able to cool it in a full scale power plant. 10x may not even be enough to fix that problem, but it sure helps!
Four new papers from Pacific Fusion today showing their physics basis for their fusion concept. I have absolutely no doubt that they can demonstrate Q>1 with the proposed machine, but I also have zero confidence that it can be made into a commercial power plant, just the waste stream alone is hard.
Pacific Fusion – Validating the path to fusion ignition
Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy.
www.pacificfusion.com
September 3, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Four new papers from Pacific Fusion today showing their physics basis for their fusion concept. I have absolutely no doubt that they can demonstrate Q>1 with the proposed machine, but I also have zero confidence that it can be made into a commercial power plant, just the waste stream alone is hard.
That is nearly enough to build a full power plant.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $863 Million Series B2 Round to Accelerate the Commercialization of Fusion Energy
The world's largest and leading commercial fusion energy company
cfs.energy
August 30, 2025 at 9:33 PM
That is nearly enough to build a full power plant.
Yes it is...
Looks like nuclear fusion is picking up steam
A global map shows fusion energy projects with increasingly aggressive deadlines.
www.theverge.com
August 27, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Yes it is...
An interesting (if not long) take on the state of Fusion youtu.be/el9jSdsLkZU?...
Fusion 2035: The 10-Year Shot Clock
YouTube video by The Fusion Report
youtu.be
August 26, 2025 at 8:51 PM
An interesting (if not long) take on the state of Fusion youtu.be/el9jSdsLkZU?...
China has a new high-strength, high-temperature metal for fusion reactors. What is the US doing?
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
How China’s CHSN01 super steel could shrink fusion reactors, cut costs
Learn why CHSN01 steel is the keystone for next-gen fusion: higher fields, longer lifespans, and streamlined reactor construction.
interestingengineering.com
August 15, 2025 at 12:58 AM
China has a new high-strength, high-temperature metal for fusion reactors. What is the US doing?
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
interestingengineering.com/energy/china...
Fusion Industry Associates put out a report on the state of fusion industry in 2025, with $9.8 billion in funding thus far, $2.6B just in 2024! The industry is really starting to produce tangible results and get significant funding!
www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-indus...
www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-indus...
Fusion Industry Reports - Fusion Industry Association
NEWS Fusion Industry Reports Download our 2025 Global Fusion Industry Report Download our 2025 Fusion Industry Supply Chain Report
www.fusionindustryassociation.org
August 1, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Fusion Industry Associates put out a report on the state of fusion industry in 2025, with $9.8 billion in funding thus far, $2.6B just in 2024! The industry is really starting to produce tangible results and get significant funding!
www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-indus...
www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-indus...
They are building a plant before they have demonstrated net power out of one of their machines. They are either confident or cocky!
interestingengineering.com/energy/world...
interestingengineering.com/energy/world...
Construction of world's 1st nuclear fusion plant starts in Washington
Helion Energy aims to produce low-cost, clean electric energy from the Washington-based fusion plant by 2028.
interestingengineering.com
August 1, 2025 at 1:34 AM
They are building a plant before they have demonstrated net power out of one of their machines. They are either confident or cocky!
interestingengineering.com/energy/world...
interestingengineering.com/energy/world...
W-7X (not sure why the article shows a tokamak!) has set a new record for the triple product, a combination of the density of particles, the temperature for these particles, and the confinement time. With a confinement of 360 sec about 1/3rd of EASTs record 1066 sec, but higher Temp and dens.
Nuclear fusion record smashed as German scientists take 'a significant step forward' to near-limitless clean energy
Germany's Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has set a new benchmark for fusion reactors, bringing commercial, near-limitless clean energy one step closer to reality.
www.livescience.com
June 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
W-7X (not sure why the article shows a tokamak!) has set a new record for the triple product, a combination of the density of particles, the temperature for these particles, and the confinement time. With a confinement of 360 sec about 1/3rd of EASTs record 1066 sec, but higher Temp and dens.
Spending is up in 2025 for the fusion supply chain, but so is doubt that the supply chain will hold up!
Fusion supply chain spending rises as commercialisation nears - The Engineer
A new Fusion Industry Association report claims that supply chain spending in the sector almost doubled in 2024
www.theengineer.co.uk
June 5, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Spending is up in 2025 for the fusion supply chain, but so is doubt that the supply chain will hold up!
New ITER Baseline, an update to the 2016 baseline...which was an update to the 2006 baseline. One delay is due to stress-corrosion cracking...first observed by the British in India when keeping brass bullets dry in stables... horse urine caused the bullet casings to crack! First described in 1921!😮
A baseline? Here's what that means for ITER
YouTube video by iterorganization
youtu.be
June 5, 2025 at 12:40 AM
New ITER Baseline, an update to the 2016 baseline...which was an update to the 2006 baseline. One delay is due to stress-corrosion cracking...first observed by the British in India when keeping brass bullets dry in stables... horse urine caused the bullet casings to crack! First described in 1921!😮
Amazing images of the closest full time functioning fusion reactor…our sun!
Clearest-ever images of sun's corona captured with new optical technique
Using a new optical system, scientists at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory and the New Jersey Institute of Technology have…
www.nsf.gov
May 28, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Amazing images of the closest full time functioning fusion reactor…our sun!
This is about fission, not fusion, but fission is the only other fuel source that can outlast oil...and I just want to point out, that Chernobyl was a Uranium/Plutonium reactor that could be fueled while online...specifically for weapons production...and that ended poorly.
‘Rabbits sometimes make mistakes or grow lazy. That's when the tortoise seizes its chance’: Abandoned US research leads to nuclear power breakthrough — for China
A stable thorium reactor could help decarbonize energy production, while being less risky than conventional fission reactors.
www.livescience.com
May 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
This is about fission, not fusion, but fission is the only other fuel source that can outlast oil...and I just want to point out, that Chernobyl was a Uranium/Plutonium reactor that could be fueled while online...specifically for weapons production...and that ended poorly.
With the Trump administration's war on science (budget calls for 50% cuts to most science programs), who will pick up the slack? In fusion development that might be the states, but is this really sustainable without a strong central driver? This will concentrate fusion in a handful of rich states.
The Growing Role of State Governments in Funding Fusion Development
As federal support wanes, U.S. states are stepping up to fund fusion energy. From CA to VA, discover how states are driving commercialization forward.
thefusionreport.com
May 15, 2025 at 5:36 PM
With the Trump administration's war on science (budget calls for 50% cuts to most science programs), who will pick up the slack? In fusion development that might be the states, but is this really sustainable without a strong central driver? This will concentrate fusion in a handful of rich states.
This is an interesting musing on advanced fluids, read molten salts and metals, for cooling reactors (both fission and fusion). Sodium is a great example, the Super Phoenix reactor in France kept catching on fire due to the sodium used as a coolant, that really made engineers afraid of these things.
High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
www.ans.org
May 14, 2025 at 8:22 PM
This is an interesting musing on advanced fluids, read molten salts and metals, for cooling reactors (both fission and fusion). Sodium is a great example, the Super Phoenix reactor in France kept catching on fire due to the sodium used as a coolant, that really made engineers afraid of these things.
Fusion powers our galaxy, and now we know a bit better what our barred-arm spiral looks like in 3D...thanks Gaia!
What does the Milky Way look like from the side? Thanks to data from ESA’s Gaia mission, we now have a detailed map showing its thin, warped disk — home to our Sun and billions of stars. A stunning view of our galaxy’s true shape.
Credit: ESA, Gaia, DPAC, Stefan Payne-Wardenaar
Credit: ESA, Gaia, DPAC, Stefan Payne-Wardenaar
May 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Fusion powers our galaxy, and now we know a bit better what our barred-arm spiral looks like in 3D...thanks Gaia!
Recent paper showing the state of the fusion industry, missing many players concepts, but overall a good idea of where the industry is and is heading...
Fusion Energy Base
www.fusionenergybase.com
May 14, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Recent paper showing the state of the fusion industry, missing many players concepts, but overall a good idea of where the industry is and is heading...
Not sure this is as big a deal as they claim (have not read the paper yet), but this could help in future designs, but ITER, WX-7, EAST, SPARC, and BEST are all already designed, if not operating. I think the bigger news was the A.I. solution to distribution. Time will tell.
Scientists Crack 70-Year Fusion Puzzle, Paving Way for Clean Energy
A physics breakthrough could supercharge fusion power development by solving a decades-old particle containment issue.
scitechdaily.com
May 13, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Not sure this is as big a deal as they claim (have not read the paper yet), but this could help in future designs, but ITER, WX-7, EAST, SPARC, and BEST are all already designed, if not operating. I think the bigger news was the A.I. solution to distribution. Time will tell.
ITER passes a significant milestone (behind the original schedule by only 9 years!). First plasma is scheduled for 2035 instead of the 2016 baseline schedule of 2025. I guess not bad for being conceived in 1985! Feels glacial...
ITER completes world's largest and most powerful pulsed magnet system
In a landmark achievement for fusion energy, ITER has completed all components for the world's largest, most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet system.
phys.org
May 10, 2025 at 2:23 AM
ITER passes a significant milestone (behind the original schedule by only 9 years!). First plasma is scheduled for 2035 instead of the 2016 baseline schedule of 2025. I guess not bad for being conceived in 1985! Feels glacial...
Buried in this article on a "Fusion Fest" event in London, is the news that NIF again achieve a record in Fusion...producing ~7MJ of fusion energy from 2 MJ of laser input for a gain of 3.4, blowing past their former gain record of 2.4! (rumors say it might be closer to 8MJ when analysis is done!)
Fusion industry meets in London to discuss 'one of the economic opportunities of the century' – Physics World
The inaugural Fusion Fest by Economist Impact featured more than 450 attendees from around the world
physicsworld.com
May 10, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Buried in this article on a "Fusion Fest" event in London, is the news that NIF again achieve a record in Fusion...producing ~7MJ of fusion energy from 2 MJ of laser input for a gain of 3.4, blowing past their former gain record of 2.4! (rumors say it might be closer to 8MJ when analysis is done!)
Ut oh, General Fusion seems to be running into trouble, even after some success!
General Fusion lays off staff due to 'unexpected and urgent financing constraints' – Physics World
Canadian firm says it is needs to “navigate a difficult environment”
physicsworld.com
May 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Ut oh, General Fusion seems to be running into trouble, even after some success!
Fusion laser prototype built!
First Major Hardware Completed for Prototype Laser System, Validating Groundbreaking Fusion Energy Design - Xcimer Energy
Inertial fusion energy company activates first electron-beam laser built anywhere in the world in over two decades, takes key step on path to commercialization Xcimer Energy Inc. announced that it h...
xcimer.energy
April 1, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Fusion laser prototype built!
SMART reactor is Spain makes its first plasma. It is a unique tokomak in that the "triangularity" (i.e. the curvature) of the field lines is negative at the center, instead of flat, like a tradition tokamak, a so called Spherical Tokamak similar to START, MAST or NSTX-U.
Scientists create mind-blowing phenomenon inside first-of-its-kind energy device: 'We were all very excited'
Researchers at the University of Seville and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory created a fusion reactor that achieved nuclear plasma with negative triangularity.
www.thecooldown.com
March 7, 2025 at 12:21 AM
SMART reactor is Spain makes its first plasma. It is a unique tokomak in that the "triangularity" (i.e. the curvature) of the field lines is negative at the center, instead of flat, like a tradition tokamak, a so called Spherical Tokamak similar to START, MAST or NSTX-U.
ITER makes no fusion, but keeps a plasma around for a long time...a world record...now if they can just keep it from exploding! 😜
energynews.pro/en/fusion-en...
energynews.pro/en/fusion-en...
Fusion Energy: A Record Plasma Duration Set in France
A new world record for plasma duration was set in France, paving the way for major breakthroughs in nuclear fusion, a potentially clean and limitless energy source.
energynews.pro
March 6, 2025 at 11:40 PM
ITER makes no fusion, but keeps a plasma around for a long time...a world record...now if they can just keep it from exploding! 😜
energynews.pro/en/fusion-en...
energynews.pro/en/fusion-en...
"For Xcimer’s Galloway, the development of fusion marks a critical transition for an advanced civilization. “It’s the final step for energy production,” he said. “Past fusion, there’s nothing else.”" As for matter-antimatter, fusion is how you would make the antimatter, which is just energy storage!
Startups Gamble on Fusion Energy
Fusion technology is likely far from powering a grid — if it ever will. Dozens of fusion startups have launched anyway.
goodmenproject.com
March 6, 2025 at 12:57 AM
"For Xcimer’s Galloway, the development of fusion marks a critical transition for an advanced civilization. “It’s the final step for energy production,” he said. “Past fusion, there’s nothing else.”" As for matter-antimatter, fusion is how you would make the antimatter, which is just energy storage!