One of the biggest technical hurdles in the development of viable fusion energy may have been overcome. Initial results from the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s new Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak Upgrade have demonstrated the effectiveness of an innovative exhaust system.
A key challenge in getting tokamaks on the electricity grid is removing excess heat produced during fusion reactions. This means an effective exhaust system capable of dealing with the immense temperatures is necessary, otherwise sacrificial materials will be consumed at an unsustainable rate. The solution has eluded scientists and engineers for years.
A spokesperson for the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy said, “The new system, known as a ‘Super-X divertor’, would allow components in future commercial tokamaks to last for much longer; greatly increasing the power plant’s availability, improving its economic viability and reducing the cost of fusion electricity.”
The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s lead scientist at the MAST Upgrade, Andrew Kirk, explained further, “Super-X reduces the heat on the exhaust system from a blowtorch level down to more like you’d find in a car engine. This could mean it would only have to be replaced once during the lifetime of a power plant.
“We built MAST to solve the exhaust problem for compact fusion power plants, and the signs are that we’ve succeeded.”
Fusion energy is based on the same principle by which stars create heat and light. Using a machine called a ‘tokamak,’ a fusion power station will heat a gas, or ‘plasma’, enabling types of hydrogen fuel to fuse together to release energy that can generate electricity by heating steam and turning a turbine. For more information, click here.
Engineering Matters recently produced an episode on the project to bring commercially viable fusion to the UK by the 2040s, listen here.
