A new path to nuclear fusion? A novel pistol shrimp-inspired system succeeded
And they aim to have a pilot plant up and running by the 2030s.
A British fusion firm and University of Oxford spinoff First Light Fusion claims it achieved nuclear fusion without relying on lasers and powerful magnets by using a novel “projectile” approach.
Its new method offers the “fastest, simplest and cheapest route to commercial fusion power,” the company explains in a press release. Amazingly, it’s inspired by one of the smallest creatures in the ocean, the shrimp.
A new method for nuclear fusion
Governments worldwide are increasingly supporting nuclear fusion ventures as they have the potential to provide practically limitless clean energy. Nuclear fusion generates electricity using the same method as the Sun and the stars — by smashing atoms together so that they fuse into heavier elements and release vast amounts of energy.
Most big tokamak projects, such as the one developed by Bill Gates-backed MIT startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems, rely on lasers and incredibly powerful magnets to contain incredibly hot plasma reactions.
First Light Fusion’s method takes a completely different approach. Using a railgun, the company fires a projectile toward a falling target at hypersonic speed, allowing it to generate specifically timed collapsing shockwaves that momentarily create pressure levels almost a billion times higher than atmospheric air pressure at sea level.
These pressure levels are high enough to cause small embedded deuterium fuel pellets to implode at high enough speeds to overcome nuclear repulsion and kickstart fusion reactions.
Inspired by the power of the pistol shrimp
First Light explains that its technique is inspired by the pistol shrimp, which fires bubbles at unsuspecting prey by snapping its claws together at such high speeds that it creates a shockwave and even emits a bright flash of light.
The company designed a method, based on the pistol shrimp’s technique, that could create the conditions required for fusion. The company’s projectile fires using an electromagnetic design that allows it to reach massive speeds of over 14,500 mph. When the projectile hits the falling target, the impact pressure is approximately 100 gigapascals. Thanks to the target’s design, that pressure is amplified to around one terapascal. When the fuel pellet implodes, the final measurement can reach a massive pressure of 100 terapascals.
According to First Light, this makes the fuel the fastest moving object on Earth, reaching speeds of 157,000 mph. The fuel pellet is compressed from a few millimeters down to less than 100 microns, which is enough for fusion reactions to take place. The company transfers that energy via a heat exchanger transfer and a pool of liquid lithium.
First Light says a commercial plant using its design would have an output of around 744 MW, which is a little less than the typical nuclear power plant, though without the risk of meltdown. The company said it has achieved fusion using its design and it is “working towards a pilot plant producing ~150 MW of electricity and costing less than $1 billion in the 2030s.”
Source: Interesting Engineering
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A new path to nuclear fusion? A novel pistol shrimp-inspired system succeeded