Could More Powerful Lasers Make Fusion Energy Cheaper and More Accessible?
The National Ignition Facility in California uses powerful lasers to start nuclear fusion reactions.
In the 1980s, the US tested nuclear fusion secretly under the Nevada desert. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and, if controlled on Earth, could provide clean, abundant energy.
Conner Galloway and Alexander Valys, two graduate students from Los Alamos National Laboratory, were inspired by these early tests. They realized that fusion ignition was possible and founded a company called Xcimer to advance this technology.
While the National Ignition Facility used lasers that delivered 2 megajoules of energy to ignite fusion, Xcimer plans to use lasers delivering up to 20 megajoules. Their goal is to make fusion reactors more practical by using larger fuel capsules and increasing the energy output.
Fusion research faces challenges, including how to manage and use the heat produced and how to protect reactor materials from high-energy particles. Some experts are skeptical about the feasibility of commercial fusion reactors soon enough to address climate change.
Xcimer plans to build and test their technology over the next few years and hopes to have a functioning fusion reactor by the mid-2030s. They have already raised $100 million to start their work, but much more will be needed to make this vision a reality.
The idea of affordable, clean energy from fusion is exciting and could transform energy production, but significant challenges remain. (Source: BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cml2pyvmw9ro