A government research organization heading up the delivery of sustainable fusion energy in the United Kingdom has announced a major investment in breakthrough technology.
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority awarded 16 contracts to 13 groups to develop sensors that can withstand extreme conditions inside fusion power plants. The £3.5 million in funding — the equivalent of almost $4.5 million in United States dollars — should help to bring experts closer to unlocking another source of energy that doesn't produce polluting gases.
Fusion power plants have some major obstacles to overcome before they can be considered a reasonable solution to the energy crisis. Their reactors can reach over 100 million degrees Celsius or more. Any materials and components they use must withstand this heat and other conditions needed for them to work, like strong magnetic fields. The hope is that this significant and targeted funding will support the development of sensing technologies that can function effectively and dependably in these conditions.
The UKAEA's Fusion Industry Programme began in 2021 to uncover solutions to fusion energy challenges. For this project, FIP will provide technical advisors to assist the contract recipients in designing and testing their innovations, the organization shared in a March press release.
Unlike traditional power plants that burn dirty fuels, fusion power plants create energy by combining atoms rather than splitting them, similar to the process that energizes the sun. In theory, this could provide zero-pollution energy to power homes and cities. Many refer to the capabilities of fusion energy as limitless because the fuel it requires (essentially jamming atoms together) is widely available — though some have disagreed with this framing.
The development of new sensing technologies could help scientists to produce fusion energy reliably. What makes the UKAEA project special is that it brings private companies and universities together to tackle engineering challenges from multiple angles. Among the award recipients are "10 private companies and three academic institutions," per the release.
"We're delighted to see a wealth of variety in the innovative responses to this challenge," said Joanne Flanagan, Head of Diagnostics, Data and Control for Tokamak Energy, a company providing advisors to the project.
These innovations could go along in supporting several other projects working toward making fusion energy a reality.
Tokamak Energy is set to install a 1-megawatt gyrotron this year, with plans to test the device's ability to help heat and control plasma in fusion reactors.
Scientists in China are also using machine learning and artificial intelligence to make plasma measurements more efficient and accurate.
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Definitely 💰 While timelines for the UKAEA-funded projects are unclear, it seems that fusion energy may not be too far away. Tokamak Energy has a goal of providing fusion energy "in the 2030s," and the World Economic Forum has reported that a demonstration fusion plant is set to turn on in 2027.
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