NSERC awards funding for General Fusion LM26 diagnostic system

RICHMOND, British Columbia, Nov. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second time this year, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance program has awarded funding to support the development of cutting-edge diagnostic technology for General Fusion’s Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) fusion demonstration. Building on several years of successful fusion R&D collaboration, General Fusion and Simon Fraser University (SFU) will partner to optimize a diagnostic method called neutron activation analysis. The diagnostic developed with SFU will calculate the total number of neutrons produced during LM26 operations, providing critical data to measure and verify the program’s key technical milestones. LM26 is designed to achieve 1 keV in the first half of 2025, then 10 keV (fusion conditions of over 100 million degrees Celsius), and progress toward scientific breakeven equivalent and the Lawson criterion by 2026.

This diagnostic uses an industry-standard approach for neutron activation analysis that has been deployed in leading fusion research machines such as the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)'s Joint European Torus and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility. The total neutron count for each LM26 experiment will provide critical insight into the machine’s overall fusion performance as the company progresses toward key temperature thresholds and, ultimately, scientific breakeven equivalent and the Lawson criterion. The technology is uniquely suited for General Fusion’s LM26 program. It does not require direct access to the plasma and will not be impacted by interference from the machine’s electromagnetic noise.

“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with Simon Fraser University, which has decades of research experience and unique lab capabilities to support us in advancing our practical and economical clean energy technology – Magnetized Target Fusion,” said Mike Donaldson, Senior Vice President, Technology Development, General Fusion. “Data drives our fusion demonstration program. That’s why we’re working with a wide network of Canadian and international experts to build the robust diagnostic system we need for our LM26 demonstration in a way that is scalable to a commercial fusion machine and pushes the whole field of fusion diagnostics forward.”

“We’re very excited to continue this important collaboration,” said Angela Brooks-Wilson, Simon Fraser University’s Dean of Science. “General Fusion is a leader in the clean energy sector, and I am very glad that expertise from SFU Faculty of Science is helping to create technologies that will enable new sources of carbon-free electricity.”

A full suite of diagnostics on LM26 will provide extensive data to measure plasma performance and neutron production during the machine’s two-year operations. In addition to its work with SFU, General Fusion is collaborating with TRIUMF, UKAEA, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Lisbon, Bertin Technologies, Motus Design Group, and others to develop several diagnostic tools, including neutron activation analysis, neutron spectrometry, Thomson scattering, and reflectometry.

About General Fusion

General Fusion is pursuing a fast and practical approach to commercial fusion energy and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. The company was established in 2002 and is funded by a global syndicate of leading energy venture capital firms, industry leaders, and technology pioneers. Learn more at www.generalfusion.com.

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