New Approach to Fusion Could Accelerate Timetable
An article in Science magazine details an approach by Sandia National Laboratory to fusion energy that may yield huge results. While the two main approaches to fusion – magnetic confinement fusion and inertial confinement fusion – have traditionally believed to be the most promising, researchers at Sandia National Lab believe that a different approach may produce net energy gain cheaper, and faster. Known as magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF), uses a magnetic pulse to crush the fuel used for fusion. From the article:
Sandia’s MagLIF technique is similar to NIF’s in that it rapidly crushes its fuel—a process known as inertial confinement fusion. But to do it, MagLIF uses a magnetic pulse rather than lasers. The target in MagLIF is a tiny cylinder about 7 millimeters in diameter; it’s made of beryllium and filled with deuterium and tritium. The cylinder, known as a liner, is connected to Sandia’s vast electrical pulse generator (called the Z machine), which can deliver 26 million amps in a pulse lasting milliseconds or less. That much current passing down the walls of the cylinder creates a magnetic field that exerts an inward force on the liner’s walls, instantly crushing it—and compressing and heating the fusion fuel.
To read the full article, click here.
