Most fusion efforts around the world are focused on combining deuterium-tritium (DT) hydrogen isotopes for use as fuel; donut-shaped tokamak machines commonly used in fusion concepts are limited to DT fuel.

In contrast, TAE’s compact linear design uses an advanced beam-driven inverted field (FRC) configuration that can accommodate all available fusion fuel cycles, including DT and deuterium-helium-3 (D -He-3), a benefit that uniquely allows the company to license its technology en route to its ultimate goal of connecting the first p-B11 fusion power plant to the grid by the end of this decade.

TAE is developing commercial fusion power plants using p-B11 because it is the most economical and environmentally friendly fuel cycle for fusion. The P-B11 eliminates the need to replicate tritium, providing cleaner and safer operations while maximizing the durability and life of the smelter. The boron in p-B11 is ubiquitous in nature, found in large deposits in the earth’s crust and seawater, and is used in detergents and other industrial products. The partnership between NIFS and TAE represents the first research on public-private fusion using this advanced fuel.

NIFS is an interuniversity research institute located in the city of Toki and works with preeminent organizations both in Japan and globally. TAE scientists will collaborate with a team led by Professor Zensho Yoshida, Director General of NIFS.

The three-year joint research project, which began in September, calls on technical teams to install sensors inside the NIFS stellarator to detect benign helium nuclei, also known as alpha particles, which are produced by p-B11 fusion reactions to monitor the effects of fuel on containment walls to produce the best plasma containment and the toughest and toughest machines for fusion power plants.

“Our partnership with NIFS is an important opportunity to provide a proof of concept for TAE’s preferred fuel cycle and accelerate the commercialization of p-B11 fusion, which represents the cleanest, most elegant and most efficient source of energy. more abundant on earth, ”said Michl Binderbauer, CEO of TAE. Technologies. “We expect this research to provide new information that will help us further optimize our fusion platform for global adoption and long-term sustainability. “

“The collaborative relationship between the United States and Japan began with vigor when President Carter and Prime Minister Fukuda signed a treaty on collaboration between the United States and Japan in 1978, ”said Toshiki Tajima, Scientific Director of TAE Technologies. “In particular, NIFS scientists such as Professor Momota traveled to the United States to explore aneutronic fusion research in the 1980s. I believe our experimental collaboration with NIFS will quickly lead to the first demonstration of fusion. p-B11 aneutronics to the world. This joint effort shows that the union of two complementary parts can produce a result greater than the sum of its parts – similar to the transformative properties of fusion energy itself. “

“Grid-scale fusion energy development and commercialization is a priority in the face of climate change,” said Professor Masaki Osakabe, Executive Director of the NIFS Large Helical Device Project. “We are excited to provide this opportunity to research the effects of advanced fuels for fusion with a p-B11 leader, and we look forward to sharing the results. “

In April, TAE announced $ 280 million in additional funding based on reaching a fusion technology milestone that gives the company a high degree of confidence that its unique compact configuration can evolve into utility scale fusion power at competitive cost.

In September, TAE launched a power management division, which is currently commercializing the proprietary energy storage technology deployed in the company’s fusion platform since 2017 for unprecedented advancements, including the storage of residential and commercial energy; performance, range and charging of electric vehicles; and comprehensive network infrastructure improvements to create a connected clean energy ecosystem.

ABOUT TAE TECHNOLOGIES
TAE Technologies (pronounced TAE) was founded in 1998 to develop commercial fusion energy with the cleanest environmental profile, and represents the fastest, most convenient and most economically competitive solution for bringing abundant energy to the grid. With more than 900 patents issued, more than $ 880 million With private capital, six generations of national lab-scale devices, and an experienced team of over 250 employees, TAE is now poised to deliver this transformational energy source capable of sustaining the planet for centuries. The company’s breakthrough technologies have produced a strong portfolio of business innovations in other large adjacent markets such as energy management, energy storage, transmission, electric mobility, life sciences, etc. TAE is based at California and maintains international offices in the UK and Switzerland. Multidisciplinary and mission-driven by nature, TAE leverages proprietary science and engineering to create a bright future for us all.

SOURCE TAE Technologies