The Power of Sun-Power Fusion: Breakthrough

From Lab to Life:  The Power of Sun-Power Fusion – Breakthrough

There are at least two key resources vital for human existence and progress:  Water and power.

Israel has partly solved the water problem, with state-of-the-art desalination technology. Engineers figured out how to  force high-pressure seawater through semi-permeable membranes that filter out salt and other impurities, leaving behind desalinated water – a process known as reverse osmosis.  Some of the desalinated water is actually pumped into the Sea of Galilee, which is desperately shallow.

As for energy, offshore natural gas deposits have helped ensure a reliable source of electric power for all Israelis, plus an unprecedented $35 b. gas contract for sales to neighbor Eygpt.

But power?  AI data centers have brought a quantum leap in the demand for electricity; each of our AI prompts demands considerable electric power to respond.

Consider fusion.  Our sun bombards us with solar energy, yet we use and capture only 2% of it.  It does it, through fusion. The Sun generates energy through nuclear fusion in its core, where immense gravity and heat (around 15 million °C) force hydrogen nuclei (protons) to fuse into helium nuclei, releasing vast amounts of energy as light and heat.  For years, researchers have tried to replicate the process on Earth, to generate electricity. The key problem: The intense heat resulting melts any container that contains the process.  Solution: Use a magnetic field to contain it. But that has proved really tricky.

My university Technion has announced an important breakthrough in fusion energy.    “Technion researchers have made a breakthrough in controlling power delivery for compact fusion reactors, a critical development for making fusion energy practical.   The Israeli startup nT-Tao *  collaborated  with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in a  theoretical study.  One of the primary challenges in harnessing fusion energy is the unpredictable behavior of the plasma inside the reactor, which makes maintaining a stable power flow difficult with traditional systems.   The Innovation: The team developed a new “nonlinear controller” that automatically adjusts in real-time to stabilize power delivery under the highly dynamic conditions of plasma formation.  This control capability is indispensable for the operation of rapid-pulse, high-density compact fusion designs, bringing the world closer to commercially viable fusion energy.   Compact fusion reactors with advanced power control could provide a long-term, low-emission power source for a variety of applications, including remote electricity supply, industrial use, and marine vessels.”

•  nT-tao, a startup,  is developing a 20 MW fusion generator to supply cheap fusion power.

One day, harnessing the fusion process will generate infinite amounts of cheap electric power for the world.  It may make hydrocarbons worthless.  That day cannot come soon enough.