The heat and power involved with nuclear fusion experiments are likely incomprehensible to most people outside of the experts involved with the research.
San Leandro, California-based Fuse Energy Technology isn't disappointing in the astounding descriptions department. That's because its unique method for developing the cleaner energy source involves power on par with 800 lightning bolts striking simultaneously, with applications such as testing and jump-starting fusion reactions.
For 100 nanoseconds, the TITAN device "consumes more power than Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, and Dubai combined" in the same time frame, according to Fuse's website. "We harness this energy and fire it in a 'shot' at an object to test how that object reacts under extreme conditions."
If successfully developed and sustained to produce more energy than it requires, nuclear fusion could translate to abundant electricity to power our TVs, toasters, and all the other technology we use each day.
"That the team went from initial design to physical testing with these results in less than 18-months is impressive," Rick Spielman, a physics professor at the University of Rochester who has collaborated with the Fuse team, said on the company website.
Fusion energy is being studied in labs around the world, at immense expense and effort. Fusion happens when two atoms collide and combine, creating power, just like what happens in the sun. It doesn't produce heat-trapping air pollution or long-lasting radioactive waste, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
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But sustaining the reactions has been a huge challenge.
The Energy Information Administration reported that fission nuclear reactions account for nearly 20% of the country's electricity. Those reactions produce energy, troublesome waste, and meltdown risks as atoms are split. There is plenty of debate about the merits of the fume-free energy. There are also misconceptions surrounding the radioactive byproduct, which comes in the form of ceramic pellets, not green ooze.
The reduced air pollution helps limit planet warming that's linked by NASA experts to extreme droughts and other severe weather, impacting even our food supply.
But when disasters happen with fission, they can be catastrophic, producing decades of radioactive contamination.
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TITAN is different from other fusion contraptions that use large doughnut-shaped units called tokamaks that confine superhot plasma with magnetic fields. TITAN is a magnetized target machine, creating "powerful, instantaneous electrical energy to rapidly compress and heat plasma, achieving the ultra-high temperature and pressure required for fusion," according to the Chosun Daily.
Fuse called it "the world's highest-output and most efficient device, verified by external institutions," per the news site.
The tech has some clear improvements over other fusion devices. It's three times more compact with a lifetime 1,000 times longer. It's also five times cheaper with a 90% energy delivery efficiency, Fuse added.
Fusion energy is likely years away from realization as a commercialized energy source. The Chosun Daily reported that experts have a timeframe of between 2030 and 2050. In the meantime, Fuse has been earning money by selling access to the byproduct radiation it makes during experiments. Other agency experts are using the radiation to test how their tech, from satellites to semiconductors, handle exposure to it, per the story.
While nuclear energy uses the same power process as the sun, it's the sun itself that can benefit homeowners the most for immediate electricity needs. Rooftop solar can limit or eliminate your utility bill with free, abundant solar power. EnergySage can help you compare quotes, find a timely installer, and secure tax breaks before they expire at the end of the year, saving you up to $10,000.
On the fusion front, the TITAN team has big goals for its research.
"TITAN will deliver the immense energy needed to initiate and sustain fusion reactions," according to the company website.
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