The idea of fusion energy has been around for decades, but it’s been really hard to actually turn that idea into commercial fusion energy. A thin strip of copper-colored tape is what led to our effort at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS).
That tape is a new technology called a high-temperature superconductor (HTS).
Superconductors are materials with the incredibly useful ability to transmit electricity with no losses whatsoever, and high-temperature superconductors are much better at doing that than conventional superconductors. So much better, in fact, that the IBM team that discovered them immediately won a Nobel Prize.
These new superconductors’ abilities are perfect for taking fusion to the next level.
It’s hard to hold our fusion fuel, a superhot cloud of electrically charged particles called a plasma. As you might expect for the stuff the sun is made out of, you can’t just stick it in a tank. But superconductors let us build superstrong magnets whose fields hold the plasma without ever touching it. High-temperature superconductors’ advantages mean we can make the whole system much smaller and therefore affordable.
In short, superconductors enable our magnets, our magnets enable our power plants, and our power plants let us recreate the sun’s fusion process here on Earth. That’s why we at CFS sometimes call ourselves star builders.
Now you know why we’re so jazzed about our technology. Unlocking clean, affordable electricity will begin a new chapter for the world. We’d love for you to follow us on our star builder journey.
For some more background, check our posts on the CFS journey to Q>1 and a fusion power plant and on why fusion is an ideal energy source.
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